UnratedFix available
wifi: ath9k: htc_hst: free skb in ath9k_htc_rx_msg() if there is no callback function
Type: advisorySources: OSV
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: ath9k: htc_hst: free skb in ath9k_htc_rx_msg() if there is no callback function It is stated that ath9k_htc_rx_msg() either frees the provided skb or passes its management to another callback function. However, the skb is not freed in case there is no another callback function, and Syzkaller was able to cause a memory leak. Also minor comment fix. Found by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with Syzkaller.
- Products
- Kernel
- Affected versions
- Not specified
- Fixed versions
- 4.14.308, 4.19.276, 5.10.173, 5.15.99, 5.4.235, 6.1.16, 6.2.3
- CVEs
- CVE-2023-53802
- Confirmed fixed CVEs
- Not specified
- Updated in this feed
- 3 Nov 2026, 17:10 UTC · Revision 1
Source evidence
wifi: ath9k: htc_hst: free skb in ath9k_htc_rx_msg() if there is no callback function
core-osv · Original sourcePublished 9 Dec 2025, 00:00 UTC
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: ath9k: htc_hst: free skb in ath9k_htc_rx_msg() if there is no callback function It is stated that ath9k_htc_rx_msg() either frees the provided skb or passes its management to another callback function. However, the skb is not freed in case there is no another callback function, and Syzkaller was able to cause a memory leak. Also minor comment fix. Found by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with Syzkaller.
osv:CVE-2023-53802
Kernel
Fixed versions: 4.14.308, 4.19.276, 5.4.235, 5.10.173, 5.15.99, 6.1.16, 6.2.3
Complete source record
{
"id": "2a2b2ae491450dd2df6c3f0fb062d592ac38450b3632823167145b253011e614",
"url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-53802",
"method": "structured",
"payload": {
"kind": "advisory",
"title": "wifi: ath9k: htc_hst: free skb in ath9k_htc_rx_msg() if there is no callback function",
"summary": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: ath9k: htc_hst: free skb in ath9k_htc_rx_msg() if there is no callback function It is stated that ath9k_htc_rx_msg() either frees the provided skb or passes its management to another callback function. However, the skb is not freed in case there is no another callback function, and Syzkaller was able to cause a memory leak. Also minor comment fix. Found by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with Syzkaller.",
"evidence": "osv:CVE-2023-53802",
"products": [
{
"name": {
"value": "Kernel",
"evidence": "/affected/1/package/name"
},
"prerequisites": [],
"fixed_versions": [
{
"value": "4.14.308",
"evidence": "/affected/1/ranges"
},
{
"value": "4.19.276",
"evidence": "/affected/1/ranges"
},
{
"value": "5.4.235",
"evidence": "/affected/1/ranges"
},
{
"value": "5.10.173",
"evidence": "/affected/1/ranges"
},
{
"value": "5.15.99",
"evidence": "/affected/1/ranges"
},
{
"value": "6.1.16",
"evidence": "/affected/1/ranges"
},
{
"value": "6.2.3",
"evidence": "/affected/1/ranges"
}
],
"affected_versions": []
}
],
"severity": "unknown",
"structured": {
"id": "CVE-2023-53802",
"aliases": [
"CVE-2023-53802"
],
"affected": [
{
"ranges": [
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"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"type": "GIT",
"events": [
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{
"fixed": "b11f95f65cc52ee3a756e6f6a88df37a203e25bd"
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{
"fixed": "68171c006c8645a3e0293a6c3e6037c6538ac1c5"
},
{
"fixed": "564bc2222bf50eb6cdee715a5431bf4dc9f923c1"
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{
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{
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{
"fixed": "5a84e51f72580fc70066b03f3dac38421e702a0b"
},
{
"fixed": "bbfababb4f899fe1556eac195f9774b6fe675fb6"
},
{
"fixed": "9b25e3985477ac3f02eca5fc1e0cc6850a3f7e69"
}
]
}
],
"database_specific": {
"source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/cve-osv-conversion/osv-output/CVE-2023-53802.json"
}
},
{
"ranges": [
{
"type": "ECOSYSTEM",
"events": [
{
"introduced": "2.6.35"
},
{
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}
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},
{
"type": "ECOSYSTEM",
"events": [
{
"introduced": "4.15.0"
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{
"fixed": "4.19.276"
}
]
},
{
"type": "ECOSYSTEM",
"events": [
{
"introduced": "4.20.0"
},
{
"fixed": "5.4.235"
}
]
},
{
"type": "ECOSYSTEM",
"events": [
{
"introduced": "5.5.0"
},
{
"fixed": "5.10.173"
}
]
},
{
"type": "ECOSYSTEM",
"events": [
{
"introduced": "5.11.0"
},
{
"fixed": "5.15.99"
}
]
},
{
"type": "ECOSYSTEM",
"events": [
{
"introduced": "5.16.0"
},
{
"fixed": "6.1.16"
}
]
},
{
"type": "ECOSYSTEM",
"events": [
{
"introduced": "6.2.0"
},
{
"fixed": "6.2.3"
}
]
}
],
"package": {
"name": "Kernel",
"ecosystem": "Linux"
},
"database_specific": {
"source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/cve-osv-conversion/osv-output/CVE-2023-53802.json"
}
}
],
"modified": "2026-10-28T02:30:30.515769682Z",
"provider": "osv",
"references": [
"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/564bc2222bf50eb6cdee715a5431bf4dc9f923c1",
"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5a84e51f72580fc70066b03f3dac38421e702a0b",
"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/68171c006c8645a3e0293a6c3e6037c6538ac1c5",
"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9b25e3985477ac3f02eca5fc1e0cc6850a3f7e69",
"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b11f95f65cc52ee3a756e6f6a88df37a203e25bd",
"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bbfababb4f899fe1556eac195f9774b6fe675fb6",
"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c0c0614f143b568cd0e9525d53cf12e5dcd11987",
"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ec246dfe006b2a8f36353f7489e4f525114db9a5",
"https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2023/53xxx/CVE-2023-53802.json",
"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53802",
"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git"
],
"provider_metadata": {
"cna_assigner": "Linux",
"osv_generated_from": "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2023/53xxx/CVE-2023-53802.json"
}
},
"related_cves": [
{
"value": "CVE-2023-53802",
"evidence": "/id"
}
],
"security_relevant": true,
"severity_evidence": null
},
"source_id": "core-osv",
"document_id": 497713,
"published_at": "2025-12-09T00:00:58.582+00:00"
}