CVE-2023-54016

Service degradation via leaked ath12k descriptors

Published Dec 24, 2025 · Updated Dec 24, 2025

Memory leak in the ath12k Wi-Fi driver in Linux allows remote attackers on an adjacent network to degrade service availability. ath12k_dp_cc_desc_init() allocates rx_descs and tx_descs, but ath12k_dp_cc_cleanup() discards their references without freeing the allocations. Each affected cleanup retains kernel memory, so systems using the driver and compatible Wi-Fi hardware can suffer resource exhaustion and service degradation.

CVSS severity5.3
Medium
EPSS probability0.18%
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 ath12k Wi-Fi driver in Linux allows remote attackers on an adjacent network to degrade service availability. ath12k_dp_cc_desc_init() allocates rx_descs and tx_descs, but ath12k_dp_cc_cleanup() discards their references without freeing the allocations. Each affected cleanup retains kernel memory, so systems using the driver and compatible Wi-Fi hardware can suffer resource exhaustion and service degradation.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-54016
Published
Dec 24, 2025
Updated
Dec 24, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499
Attack vector
adjacent
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 24, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Dec 24, 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=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <afb522b36e76acaa9f8fc06d0a9742d841c47c16
  2. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <e16be2d34883eecfe7fd888fcdb76c7a5db5d187

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectoradjacent
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <afb522b36e76acaa9f8fc06d0a9742d841c47c16; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <e16be2d34883eecfe7fd888fcdb76c7a5db5d187

Published CVSS scores

5.3SUSECVSS:4.0/AV:A/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
4.3SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L

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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectoradjacent
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

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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