CVE-2023-53822

Access-point crash via uninitialized ath11k fragment list

Published Dec 9, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Denial of service in the Linux kernel ath11k driver allows physically proximate attackers to crash affected wireless access points. ath11k_dp_rx_frag_h_mpdu passes a fragment from a peer with incomplete datapath setup to ath11k_dp_rx_h_sort_frags, which walks an uninitialized rx_frags list and dereferences a null skb. The documented crash requires the affected ath11k radio configuration; crafted fragmented 802.11 traffic requires no association, credentials, or user interaction.

CVSS severity8.8
High
EPSS probability0.36%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Denial of service in the Linux kernel ath11k driver allows physically proximate attackers to crash affected wireless access points. ath11k_dp_rx_frag_h_mpdu passes a fragment from a peer with incomplete datapath setup to ath11k_dp_rx_h_sort_frags, which walks an uninitialized rx_frags list and dereferences a null skb. The documented crash requires the affected ath11k radio configuration; crafted fragmented 802.11 traffic requires no association, credentials, or user interaction.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53822
Published
Dec 9, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
adjacent
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

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

  1. Affected versionversion=5.6
  2. Affected versionversion=d5c65159f2895379e11ca13f62feabe93278985d <41efc47f5bc53e63461579e206adc17c4452ab6e
  3. Affected versionversion=d5c65159f2895379e11ca13f62feabe93278985d <a06bfb3c9f69f303692cdae87bc0899d2ae8b2a6
  4. Affected versionversion=d5c65159f2895379e11ca13f62feabe93278985d <e78526a06b53718bfc1dfff37864c7760e41f8ec

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectoradjacent
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.6; version=d5c65159f2895379e11ca13f62feabe93278985d <41efc47f5bc53e63461579e206adc17c4452ab6e; version=d5c65159f2895379e11ca13f62feabe93278985d <a06bfb3c9f69f303692cdae87bc0899d2ae8b2a6; version=d5c65159f2895379e11ca13f62feabe93278985d <e78526a06b53718bfc1dfff37864c7760e41f8ec

Published CVSS scores

8.8Linux Kernel CVE TeamCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/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)
Vectoradjacent
Privilegesunauthenticated
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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