CVE-2023-53802

Memory leak via missing receive callback

Published Dec 9, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Memory leak in the ath9k HTC wireless driver in Linux allows local users to consume kernel memory through messages routed to an endpoint without a receive callback. The ath9k_htc_rx_msg() function passes service-message socket buffers to an endpoint receive callback but leaves the buffer allocated when that callback is absent. Reachability requires the affected receive path; repeated triggers can exhaust memory and interrupt service.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.19%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Memory leak in the ath9k HTC wireless driver in Linux allows local users to consume kernel memory through messages routed to an endpoint without a receive callback. The ath9k_htc_rx_msg() function passes service-message socket buffers to an endpoint receive callback but leaves the buffer allocated when that callback is absent. Reachability requires the affected receive path; repeated triggers can exhaust memory and interrupt service.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53802
Published
Dec 9, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 9, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 11, 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=2.6.35
  2. Affected versionversion=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <564bc2222bf50eb6cdee715a5431bf4dc9f923c1
  3. Affected versionversion=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <5a84e51f72580fc70066b03f3dac38421e702a0b
  4. Affected versionversion=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <68171c006c8645a3e0293a6c3e6037c6538ac1c5
  5. Affected versionversion=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <9b25e3985477ac3f02eca5fc1e0cc6850a3f7e69
  6. Affected versionversion=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <b11f95f65cc52ee3a756e6f6a88df37a203e25bd
  7. Affected versionversion=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <bbfababb4f899fe1556eac195f9774b6fe675fb6
  8. Affected versionversion=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <c0c0614f143b568cd0e9525d53cf12e5dcd11987
  9. Affected versionversion=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <ec246dfe006b2a8f36353f7489e4f525114db9a5

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=2.6.35; version=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <564bc2222bf50eb6cdee715a5431bf4dc9f923c1; version=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <5a84e51f72580fc70066b03f3dac38421e702a0b; version=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <68171c006c8645a3e0293a6c3e6037c6538ac1c5; version=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <9b25e3985477ac3f02eca5fc1e0cc6850a3f7e69; version=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <b11f95f65cc52ee3a756e6f6a88df37a203e25bd; version=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <bbfababb4f899fe1556eac195f9774b6fe675fb6; version=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <c0c0614f143b568cd0e9525d53cf12e5dcd11987; version=fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 <ec246dfe006b2a8f36353f7489e4f525114db9a5

Published CVSS scores

5.5SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
7.0Amazon LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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