In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

wifi: ath9k: avoid referencing uninit memory in ath9k_wmi_ctrl_rx

For the reasons also described in commit b383e8abed41 ("wifi: ath9k: avoid
uninit memory read in ath9k_htc_rx_msg()"), ath9k_htc_rx_msg() should
validate pkt_len before accessing the SKB.

For example, the obtained SKB may have been badly constructed with
pkt_len = 8. In this case, the SKB can only contain a valid htc_frame_hdr
but after being processed in ath9k_htc_rx_msg() and passed to
ath9k_wmi_ctrl_rx() endpoint RX handler, it is expected to have a WMI
command header which should be located inside its data payload.

Implement sanity checking inside ath9k_wmi_ctrl_rx(). Otherwise, uninit
memory can be referenced.

Tested on Qualcomm Atheros Communications AR9271 802.11n .

Found by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with Syzkaller.

No CVSS v4.0

Attack Vector Local

Attack Complexity High

Privileges Required Low

Scope Unchanged

Confidentiality Impact High

Integrity Impact High

Availability Impact High

User Interaction None

No CVSS v3.0

No CVSS v2

This CVE is not in the KEV list.

The EPSS score is 0.00047.

Key SSVC decision points have not yet been added.

Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).

Vendor Product Default status Versions
Linux Linux unaffected
Version Status Constraints
fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 affected < 0bc12e41af4e3ae1f0efecc377f0514459df0707
fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 affected < 28259ce4f1f1f9ab37fa817756c89098213d2fc0
fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 affected < 90e3c10177573b8662ac9858abd9bf731d5d98e0
fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 affected < 250efb4d3f5b32a115ea6bf25437ba44a1b3c04f
fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 affected < ad5425e70789c29b93acafb5bb4629e4eb908296
fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 affected < d1c2ff2bd84c3692c9df267a2b991ce92bfca8ef
fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 affected < 8ed572e52714593b209e3aa352406aff84481179
fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 affected < 75acec91aeaa07375cd5f418069e61b16d39bbad
fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 affected < f24292e827088bba8de7158501ac25a59b064953
Linux Linux affected
Version Status Constraints
2.6.35 affected —
0 unaffected < 2.6.35
4.14.322 unaffected ≤ 4.14.*
4.19.291 unaffected ≤ 4.19.*
5.4.251 unaffected ≤ 5.4.*
5.10.188 unaffected ≤ 5.10.*
5.15.121 unaffected ≤ 5.15.*
6.1.39 unaffected ≤ 6.1.*
6.3.13 unaffected ≤ 6.3.*
6.4.4 unaffected ≤ 6.4.*
6.5 unaffected ≤ *

No data.

No data.

No data.

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Advisories

No advisories yet.

Fixes

Solution

No solution given by the vendor.

Workaround

No workaround given by the vendor.

References
Link Providers
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0bc12e41af4e3ae1f0efecc377f0514459df0707 cve-icon cve-icon
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/250efb4d3f5b32a115ea6bf25437ba44a1b3c04f cve-icon cve-icon
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/28259ce4f1f1f9ab37fa817756c89098213d2fc0 cve-icon cve-icon
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/75acec91aeaa07375cd5f418069e61b16d39bbad cve-icon cve-icon
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8ed572e52714593b209e3aa352406aff84481179 cve-icon cve-icon
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/90e3c10177573b8662ac9858abd9bf731d5d98e0 cve-icon cve-icon
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ad5425e70789c29b93acafb5bb4629e4eb908296 cve-icon cve-icon
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d1c2ff2bd84c3692c9df267a2b991ce92bfca8ef cve-icon cve-icon
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f24292e827088bba8de7158501ac25a59b064953 cve-icon cve-icon
https://lore.kernel.org/linux-cve-announce/2025123032-CVE-2023-54300-5746@gregkh/T cve-icon
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-54300 cve-icon
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-54300 cve-icon
History

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 12:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

 cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.0, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

threat_severity

Important

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 12:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: ath9k: avoid referencing uninit memory in ath9k_wmi_ctrl_rx For the reasons also described in commit b383e8abed41 ("wifi: ath9k: avoid uninit memory read in ath9k_htc_rx_msg()"), ath9k_htc_rx_msg() should validate pkt_len before accessing the SKB. For example, the obtained SKB may have been badly constructed with pkt_len = 8. In this case, the SKB can only contain a valid htc_frame_hdr but after being processed in ath9k_htc_rx_msg() and passed to ath9k_wmi_ctrl_rx() endpoint RX handler, it is expected to have a WMI command header which should be located inside its data payload. Implement sanity checking inside ath9k_wmi_ctrl_rx(). Otherwise, uninit memory can be referenced. Tested on Qualcomm Atheros Communications AR9271 802.11n . Found by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with Syzkaller.
Title wifi: ath9k: avoid referencing uninit memory in ath9k_wmi_ctrl_rx
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References

Projects

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cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2025-12-30T12:23:35.819Z

Reserved: 2025-12-30T12:06:44.528Z

Link: CVE-2023-54300

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Awaiting Analysis

Published: 2025-12-30T13:16:19.120

Modified: 2025-12-31T20:42:43.210

Link: CVE-2023-54300

cve-icon Redhat

Severity : Important

Publid Date: 2025-12-30T00:00:00Z

Links: CVE-2023-54300 - Bugzilla

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

No data.

Weaknesses

No weakness.