CVE-2023-53185

Service disruption via reserved endpoint overwrite

Published Sep 15, 2025 · Updated Sep 15, 2025

Improper endpoint validation in Linux kernel ath9k before 6.5 allows physically proximate attackers to interrupt service via a malicious USB device. In ath9k's service-connection response path, the driver accepts ENDPOINT0 for a non-control service and overwrites its reserved service ID and maximum-message-length attributes. Exploitation requires the crafted USB device to supply the response locally; published impact is limited to availability, with no confidentiality or integrity loss.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.16%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper endpoint validation in Linux kernel ath9k before 6.5 allows physically proximate attackers to interrupt service via a malicious USB device. In ath9k's service-connection response path, the driver accepts ENDPOINT0 for a non-control service and overwrites its reserved service ID and maximum-message-length attributes. Exploitation requires the crafted USB device to supply the response locally; published impact is limited to availability, with no confidentiality or integrity loss.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53185
Published
Sep 15, 2025
Updated
Sep 15, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499
Attack vector
physical
Privileges
Unavailable

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 15, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 15, 2025Record 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=2.6.35
  2. Affected versionversion=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <061b0cb9327b80d7a0f63a33e7c3e2a91a71f142
  3. Affected versionversion=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <09740fa9827cfbaf23ecd041e602a426f99be888
  4. Affected versionversion=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <1044187e7249073f719ebbf9e5ffb4f16f99e555
  5. Affected versionversion=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <4dc3560561a08842b4a4c07ccc5a90e5067dbb5b
  6. Affected versionversion=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <6a444dffb75238c47d2d852f12cf53f12ad2cba8
  7. Affected versionversion=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <95b4b940f0fb2873dcedad81699e869eb7581c85
  8. Affected versionversion=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <9e3031eea2d45918dc44cbfc6a6029e82882916f
  9. Affected versionversion=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <be2a546c30fe8d72efa032bee612363bb75314bd
  10. Affected versionversion=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <db8df00cd6d801b3abdb145201c2bdd1c665f585

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorphysical
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=2.6.35; version=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <061b0cb9327b80d7a0f63a33e7c3e2a91a71f142; version=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <09740fa9827cfbaf23ecd041e602a426f99be888; version=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <1044187e7249073f719ebbf9e5ffb4f16f99e555; version=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <4dc3560561a08842b4a4c07ccc5a90e5067dbb5b; version=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <6a444dffb75238c47d2d852f12cf53f12ad2cba8; version=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <95b4b940f0fb2873dcedad81699e869eb7581c85; version=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <9e3031eea2d45918dc44cbfc6a6029e82882916f; version=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <be2a546c30fe8d72efa032bee612363bb75314bd; version=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <db8df00cd6d801b3abdb145201c2bdd1c665f585

Published CVSS scores

5.5NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorphysical
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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