Adjacent code execution via stale GTK pointer
Published Mar 2, 2024 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Use-after-free in Linux kernel mac80211 4.14 through 6.6-rc4 allows adjacent attackers to execute code through WoWLAN GTK rekeying. The ieee80211_gtk_rekey_add() path returns a pointer to a freed key when ieee80211_key_link() treats an identical reinstall as success. Reachability requires attacker-controlled Wi-Fi rekey material during suspend and resume; dereferencing the stale key can disclose or corrupt kernel memory or panic the host.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in Linux kernel mac80211 4.14 through 6.6-rc4 allows adjacent attackers to execute code through WoWLAN GTK rekeying. The ieee80211_gtk_rekey_add() path returns a pointer to a freed key when ieee80211_key_link() treats an identical reinstall as success. Reachability requires attacker-controlled Wi-Fi rekey material during suspend and resume; dereferencing the stale key can disclose or corrupt kernel memory or panic the host.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-52530
- Published
- Mar 2, 2024
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-416, T1203
- Attack vector
- adjacent
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 2, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 5, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=003aa22c9619b49efe950aca3aebd1235a04940d
- Affected versionversion=2586fa0007dc6b7745da14250be7e3aae706b128
- Affected versionversion=3.16.50 <3.17
- Affected versionversion=3.18.82 <3.19
- Affected versionversion=3.2.95 <3.3
- Affected versionversion=4.13.14 <4.14
- Affected versionversion=4.14
- Affected versionversion=4.1.47 <4.2
- Affected versionversion=4.4.99 <4.5
- Affected versionversion=4.9.63 <4.10
- Affected versionversion=6440f0ee8a1779f53526bccb9de00914daeb9094
- Affected versionversion=6891c6fd2a500d1f39d1426765f610bdc2c2a39d
- Affected versionversion=a0a8a11d1630cd648dc1ce86da620b4e240e0315
- Affected versionversion=a9ab1b2e30e898440a22d7b1d7a5b0b7c6a8791f
- Affected versionversion=ef810e7c3d2a8fb3bbd23726599c487c30ea747e
- Affected versionversion=fdf7cb4185b60c68e1a75e61691c4afdc15dea0e <2408f491ff998d674707725eadc47d8930aced09
- Affected versionversion=fdf7cb4185b60c68e1a75e61691c4afdc15dea0e <2f4e16e39e4f5e78248dd9e51276a83203950b36
- Affected versionversion=fdf7cb4185b60c68e1a75e61691c4afdc15dea0e <31db78a4923ef5e2008f2eed321811ca79e7f71b
- Affected versionversion=fdf7cb4185b60c68e1a75e61691c4afdc15dea0e <65c72a7201704574dace708cbc96a8f367b1491d
- Affected versionversion=fdf7cb4185b60c68e1a75e61691c4afdc15dea0e <e8a834eb09bb95c2bf9c76f1a28ecef7d8c439d0
- Affected versionversion=fdf7cb4185b60c68e1a75e61691c4afdc15dea0e <e8e599a635066c50ac214c3e10858f1d37e03022
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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