CVE-2023-53802

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: ath9k: htc_hst: free skb in ath9k_htc_rx_msg() if there is no callback function It is stated that ath9k_htc_rx_msg() either frees the provided skb or passes its management to another callback function. However, the skb is not freed in case there is no another callback function, and Syzkaller was able to cause a memory leak. Also minor comment fix. Found by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with Syzkaller.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2025-12-09
Last modified 2026-04-15
Patch available
Yes

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 2.6.35 and later are affected. Fixed in 4.14.308, 4.19.276, 5.4.235, 5.10.173, 5.15.99, 6.1.16, 6.2.3, 6.3 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 2.6.35
Fixed in
✓ 4.14.308 4.14.x ✓ 4.19.276 4.19.x ✓ 5.4.235 5.4.x ✓ 5.10.173 5.10.x ✓ 5.15.99 5.15.x ✓ 6.1.16 6.1.x ✓ 6.2.3 6.2.x ✓ 6.3

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2023-53802 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2023-53802?

    CVE-2023-53802 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 2.6.35 onward and has been patched in 4.14.308, 4.19.276, 5.4.235 and others. CVE-2023-53802 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2023-53802?

    Yes — CVE-2023-53802 has been patched. Fixed versions include 4.14.308, 4.19.276, 5.4.235 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 2.6.35 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2023-53802 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2023-53802 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.