Kernel-memory disclosure via reversed DMA mapping
Published Aug 21, 2024 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Information disclosure in the Linux ath12k driver allows physically proximate attackers to expose kernel memory via fragmented Wi-Fi frames. The defragmentation reinjection path maps a newly allocated skb with DMA_FROM_DEVICE instead of DMA_TO_DEVICE, allowing device reads from uninitialized kernel heap memory. A radio-range peer sending fragmented frames to an ath12k interface can cause arbitrary buffer contents to be returned as network payload.
Summary
What happened
Information disclosure in the Linux ath12k driver allows physically proximate attackers to expose kernel memory via fragmented Wi-Fi frames. The defragmentation reinjection path maps a newly allocated skb with DMA_FROM_DEVICE instead of DMA_TO_DEVICE, allowing device reads from uninitialized kernel heap memory. A radio-range peer sending fragmented frames to an ath12k interface can cause arbitrary buffer contents to be returned as network payload.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-43881
- Published
- Aug 21, 2024
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-668, T1005
- Attack vector
- adjacent
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 21, 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=6.3
- Affected versionversion=d889913205cf7ebda905b1e62c5867ed4e39f6c2 <33322e3ef07409278a18c6919c448e369d66a18e
- Affected versionversion=d889913205cf7ebda905b1e62c5867ed4e39f6c2 <6925320fcd40d8042d32bf4ede8248e7a5315c3b
- Affected versionversion=d889913205cf7ebda905b1e62c5867ed4e39f6c2 <e99d9b16ff153de9540073239d24adc3b0a3a997
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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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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