Vulnerability · Published Oct 7, 2025 · Assigned by Linux
CVE-2023-53641wifi: ath9k: hif_usb: fix memory leak of remain_skbs
Medium 5.5
In plain English
A medium-severity security flaw in Linux from Linux. There are no confirmed reports of exploitation so far. The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 0.2% (higher than 5% of all known vulnerabilities). Fixed versions are available - upgrade the affected package.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: ath9k: hif_usb: fix memory leak of remain_skbs hif_dev->remain_skb is allocated and used exclusively in ath9k_hif_usb_rx_stream(). It is implied that an allocated remain_skb is processed and subsequently freed (in error paths) only during the next call of ath9k_hif_usb_rx_stream(). So, if the urbs are deallocated between those two calls due to the device deinitialization or suspend, it is possible that ath9k_hif_usb_rx_stream() is not called next time and the allocated remain_skb is leaked. Our local Syzkaller instance was able to trigger that. remain_skb makes sense when receiving two consecutive urbs which are logically linked together, i.e. a specific data field from the first skb indicates a cached skb to be allocated, memcpy'd with some data and subsequently processed in the next call to ath9k_hif_usb_rx_stream(). Urbs deallocation supposedly makes that link irrelevant so we need to free the cached skb in those cases. Fix the leak by introducing a function to explicitly free remain_skb (if it is not NULL) when the rx urbs have been deallocated. remain_skb is NULL when it has not been allocated at all (hif_dev struct is kzalloced) or when it has been processed in next call to ath9k_hif_usb_rx_stream(). Found by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with Syzkaller.
Affected packages & fixed versions
| Ecosystem | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | linux | 6.1.37-1 | DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Debian:13 | linux | 6.3.7-1 | DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Debian:14 | linux | 6.3.7-1 | DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux | 5.15.0-79.86 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-allwinner-5.19 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-aws | 5.15.0-1042.47 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-aws-5.19 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-aws-6.2 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-aws-6.5 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-azure | 5.15.0-1045.52 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-azure-5.19 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | linux-azure-6.11 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-azure-6.2 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-azure-6.5 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-azure-fde | 5.15.0-1045.52.1 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-azure-fde-5.19 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-azure-fde-6.2 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-gcp | 5.15.0-1039.47 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-gcp-5.19 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | linux-gcp-6.11 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-gcp-6.2 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-gcp-6.5 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-gke | 5.15.0-1039.44 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-gkeop | 5.15.0-1025.30 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-hwe-5.19 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | linux-hwe-6.11 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-hwe-6.2 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-hwe-6.5 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-ibm | 5.15.0-1035.38 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | linux-intel | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-intel-iot-realtime | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-intel-iotg | 5.15.0-1037.42 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-kvm | 5.15.0-1039.44 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-lowlatency | 5.15.0-79.88 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.11 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-nvidia | 5.15.0-1030.30 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-nvidia-6.2 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-nvidia-6.5 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-nvidia-tegra | 5.15.0-1016.16 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-nvidia-tegra-igx | 5.15.0-1002.2 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-oem-5.17 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-oem-6.0 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-oem-6.1 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | linux-oem-6.11 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-oem-6.5 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | linux-oem-6.8 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-oracle | 5.15.0-1040.46 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-oracle-6.5 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-raspi | 5.15.0-1035.38 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | linux-raspi-realtime | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-realtime | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | linux-realtime | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-riscv | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | linux-riscv | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-riscv-5.19 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-riscv-6.5 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-starfive-5.19 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-starfive-6.2 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-starfive-6.5 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-xilinx-zynqmp | 5.15.0-1025.29 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53641 |
Affected products (as reported)
| Vendor | Product | Versions |
|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 – before 6719e3797ec52cd144c8a5ba8aaab36674800585fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 – before d9899318660791141ea6002fda5577b2c5d7386efb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 – before 320d760a35273aa815d58b57e4fd9ba5279a3489fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 – before 59073060fe0950c6ecbe12bdc06469dcac62128dfb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 – before 9b9356a3014123f0ce4b50d9278c1265173150abfb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 – before f0931fc8f4b6847c72e170d2326861c0a081d680fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 – before 8f02d538878c9b1501f624595eb22ee4e5e0ff84fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 – before 7654cc03eb699297130b693ec34e25f77b17c947 |
| Linux | Linux | 2.6.35 |
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6719e3797ec52cd144c8a5ba8aaab36674800585
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d9899318660791141ea6002fda5577b2c5d7386e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/320d760a35273aa815d58b57e4fd9ba5279a3489
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/59073060fe0950c6ecbe12bdc06469dcac62128d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9b9356a3014123f0ce4b50d9278c1265173150ab
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f0931fc8f4b6847c72e170d2326861c0a081d680
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8f02d538878c9b1501f624595eb22ee4e5e0ff84
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7654cc03eb699297130b693ec34e25f77b17c947