{"id":"CVE-2023-53802","state":"PUBLISHED","title":"wifi: ath9k: htc_hst: free skb in ath9k_htc_rx_msg() if there is no callback function","description":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nwifi: ath9k: htc_hst: free skb in ath9k_htc_rx_msg() if there is no callback function\n\nIt is stated that ath9k_htc_rx_msg() either frees the provided skb or\npasses its management to another callback function. However, the skb is\nnot freed in case there is no another callback function, and Syzkaller was\nable to cause a memory leak. Also minor comment fix.\n\nFound by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with Syzkaller.","publishedAt":"2025-12-09T00:00:58.582Z","updatedAt":"2026-05-11T19:51:48.668Z","severity":null,"assigner":"Linux","products":["Linux Linux"],"affected":[{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"unaffected","versions":[{"version":"fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08","status":"affected","lessThan":"b11f95f65cc52ee3a756e6f6a88df37a203e25bd","versionType":"git"},{"version":"fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08","status":"affected","lessThan":"68171c006c8645a3e0293a6c3e6037c6538ac1c5","versionType":"git"},{"version":"fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08","status":"affected","lessThan":"564bc2222bf50eb6cdee715a5431bf4dc9f923c1","versionType":"git"},{"version":"fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08","status":"affected","lessThan":"ec246dfe006b2a8f36353f7489e4f525114db9a5","versionType":"git"},{"version":"fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08","status":"affected","lessThan":"c0c0614f143b568cd0e9525d53cf12e5dcd11987","versionType":"git"},{"version":"fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08","status":"affected","lessThan":"5a84e51f72580fc70066b03f3dac38421e702a0b","versionType":"git"},{"version":"fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08","status":"affected","lessThan":"bbfababb4f899fe1556eac195f9774b6fe675fb6","versionType":"git"},{"version":"fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08","status":"affected","lessThan":"9b25e3985477ac3f02eca5fc1e0cc6850a3f7e69","versionType":"git"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/htc_hst.c"]},{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"affected","versions":[{"version":"2.6.35","status":"affected"},{"version":"0","status":"unaffected","lessThan":"2.6.35","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"4.14.308","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"4.14.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"4.19.276","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"4.19.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.4.235","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"5.4.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.10.173","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"5.10.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.15.99","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"5.15.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.1.16","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.1.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.2.3","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.2.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.3","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"*","versionType":"original_commit_for_fix"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/htc_hst.c"]}],"references":["https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b11f95f65cc52ee3a756e6f6a88df37a203e25bd","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/68171c006c8645a3e0293a6c3e6037c6538ac1c5","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/564bc2222bf50eb6cdee715a5431bf4dc9f923c1","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ec246dfe006b2a8f36353f7489e4f525114db9a5","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c0c0614f143b568cd0e9525d53cf12e5dcd11987","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5a84e51f72580fc70066b03f3dac38421e702a0b","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bbfababb4f899fe1556eac195f9774b6fe675fb6","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9b25e3985477ac3f02eca5fc1e0cc6850a3f7e69"],"weaknesses":[],"ingestedAt":"2026-10-29T20:06:33.064Z","source":{"repository":"CVEProject/cvelistV5","path":"cves/2023/53xxx/CVE-2023-53802.json","commit":"556c9d3a8cd17e218bb8e452ba7cd619a384ff47"},"raw":{"dataType":"CVE_RECORD","dataVersion":"5.2","cveMetadata":{"cveId":"CVE-2023-53802","state":"PUBLISHED","datePublished":"2025-12-09T00:00:58.582Z","dateUpdated":"2026-05-11T19:51:48.668Z","assignerShortName":"Linux","assignerOrgId":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","dateReserved":"2025-12-08T23:58:35.275Z"},"containers":{"cna":{"title":"wifi: ath9k: htc_hst: free skb in ath9k_htc_rx_msg() if there is no callback function","descriptions":[{"lang":"en","value":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nwifi: ath9k: htc_hst: free skb in ath9k_htc_rx_msg() if there is no callback function\n\nIt is stated that ath9k_htc_rx_msg() either frees the provided skb or\npasses its management to another callback function. However, the skb is\nnot freed in case there is no another callback function, and Syzkaller was\nable to cause a memory leak. Also minor comment fix.\n\nFound by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with Syzkaller."}],"affected":[{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"unaffected","versions":[{"version":"fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08","status":"affected","lessThan":"b11f95f65cc52ee3a756e6f6a88df37a203e25bd","versionType":"git"},{"version":"fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08","status":"affected","lessThan":"68171c006c8645a3e0293a6c3e6037c6538ac1c5","versionType":"git"},{"version":"fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08","status":"affected","lessThan":"564bc2222bf50eb6cdee715a5431bf4dc9f923c1","versionType":"git"},{"version":"fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08","status":"affected","lessThan":"ec246dfe006b2a8f36353f7489e4f525114db9a5","versionType":"git"},{"version":"fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08","status":"affected","lessThan":"c0c0614f143b568cd0e9525d53cf12e5dcd11987","versionType":"git"},{"version":"fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08","status":"affected","lessThan":"5a84e51f72580fc70066b03f3dac38421e702a0b","versionType":"git"},{"version":"fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08","status":"affected","lessThan":"bbfababb4f899fe1556eac195f9774b6fe675fb6","versionType":"git"},{"version":"fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08","status":"affected","lessThan":"9b25e3985477ac3f02eca5fc1e0cc6850a3f7e69","versionType":"git"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/htc_hst.c"]},{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"affected","versions":[{"version":"2.6.35","status":"affected"},{"version":"0","status":"unaffected","lessThan":"2.6.35","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"4.14.308","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"4.14.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"4.19.276","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"4.19.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.4.235","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"5.4.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.10.173","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"5.10.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.15.99","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"5.15.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.1.16","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.1.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.2.3","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.2.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.3","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"*","versionType":"original_commit_for_fix"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/htc_hst.c"]}],"references":[{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b11f95f65cc52ee3a756e6f6a88df37a203e25bd"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/68171c006c8645a3e0293a6c3e6037c6538ac1c5"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/564bc2222bf50eb6cdee715a5431bf4dc9f923c1"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ec246dfe006b2a8f36353f7489e4f525114db9a5"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c0c0614f143b568cd0e9525d53cf12e5dcd11987"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5a84e51f72580fc70066b03f3dac38421e702a0b"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bbfababb4f899fe1556eac195f9774b6fe675fb6"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9b25e3985477ac3f02eca5fc1e0cc6850a3f7e69"}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"Linux","orgId":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","dateUpdated":"2026-05-11T19:51:48.668Z"},"cpeApplicability":[{"nodes":[{"operator":"OR","negate":false,"cpeMatch":[{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"2.6.35","versionEndExcluding":"4.14.308"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"2.6.35","versionEndExcluding":"4.19.276"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"2.6.35","versionEndExcluding":"5.4.235"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"2.6.35","versionEndExcluding":"5.10.173"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"2.6.35","versionEndExcluding":"5.15.99"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"2.6.35","versionEndExcluding":"6.1.16"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"2.6.35","versionEndExcluding":"6.2.3"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"2.6.35","versionEndExcluding":"6.3"}]}]}],"x_generator":{"engine":"bippy-1.2.0"}}}}}