CVE-2023-53153: wifi: cfg80211: Fix use after free for wext
Vulnerability summary
CVE-2023-53153 is a high (CVSS 7.8) Use After Free vulnerability in linux. EPSS estimates a 0.16% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 5.5% of scored vulnerabilities.
Not severe (CVSS 7.8, local access); no exploitation reported by the 5 checked sources
Source freshness unavailable
How is this decided?Advisory lineage
Upstream 0 · Downstream 5 · Related 5Timeline
- 15-09-2025PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
- 11-05-2026Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: cfg80211: Fix use after free for wext Key information in wext.connect is not reset on (re)connect and can hold data from a previous connection. Reset key data to avoid that drivers or mac80211 incorrectly detect a WEP connection request and access the freed or already reused memory. Additionally optimize cfg80211_sme_connect() and avoid an useless schedule of conn_work.
CVSS metrics
3 scores · 3 sources · 1 version- OSV · UbuntuEcosystem advisory · calculated7.8HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- OSV · DebianEcosystem advisory · calculated7.8HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS trend
Probability
0.16%
Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days
Percentile
6%
Versus all other CVEs
30-day change
No change 0.00 pp
From 0.16% on 04-10-2026
Known exploited
Compare KEV catalogs
CISA KEVNot in the CISA KEV catalog.
ENISA CNWNot in the ENISA CNW catalog.
CIRCLNot in the CIRCL catalog.
Public exploits
0 foundNo public exploits indexed.
Weaknesses
CWE · root causeAffected systems
Known conditions: local access, low-privilege account, no user interaction (CVSS vector). Other conditions: not stated in public data.
Ubuntu121 products
- linuxAll versions (No fix recorded) | < 5.4.0-152.169 | < 5.15.0-75.82
- linux-allwinner-5.19All versions (No fix recorded)
- linux-awsAll versions (No fix recorded) | < 5.4.0-1104.112 | < 5.15.0-1038.43
- linux-aws-5.0All versions (No fix recorded)
- linux-aws-5.11All versions (No fix recorded)
Linux2 products
- linux≥ fffd0934b9390f34bec45762192b7edd3b12b4b5, < 66af4a2ab1d65d556d638cb9555a3b823c2557a9 | ≥ fffd0934b9390f34bec45762192b7edd3b12b4b5, < a2a92b3e9d8e03ee3f9ee407fc46a9b4bd02d8b6 | ≥ fffd0934b9390f34bec45762192b7edd3b12b4b5, < 6f1959c17d4cb5b74af6fc31dc787e1dc3e4f6e2 | ≥ fffd0934b9390f34bec45762192b7edd3b12b4b5, < 2cfe78619b0de6d2da773978bc2d22797212eaa7 | ≥ fffd0934b9390f34bec45762192b7edd3b12b4b5, < fd081afd21eb35b968b0330700c43ec94986e1c4 | ≥ fffd0934b9390f34bec45762192b7edd3b12b4b5, < 22dfb21bf1cd876616d45cda1bc6daa89eec6747 | ≥ fffd0934b9390f34bec45762192b7edd3b12b4b5, < f4b6a138efb8a32507b8946104e32cb926308da7 | ≥ fffd0934b9390f34bec45762192b7edd3b12b4b5, < 015b8cc5e7c4d7bb671f1984d7b7338c310b185b | 2.6.32
- linux_kernel≥ 2.6.32, < 4.14.308 | ≥ 4.15, < 4.19.276 | ≥ 4.20, < 5.4.235 | ≥ 5.5, < 5.10.173 | ≥ 5.11, < 5.15.99 | ≥ 5.16, < 6.1.16 | ≥ 6.2, < 6.2.3
Debian1 product
- linux< 6.1.20-1
3 vendors · 124 products
