CVE-2023-54300: wifi: ath9k: avoid referencing uninit memory in ath9k_wmi_ctrl_rx

Deferred
AliasesUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54300DEBIAN-CVE-2023-54300
Published 30-12-2025Last modified 11-05-2026

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2023-54300 is a vulnerability in linux with no CVSS score yet. EPSS estimates a 0.23% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 14.3% of scored vulnerabilities.

Priority
Insufficient evidence

No CVSS vector published; no exploitation reported by the 5 checked sources

Source freshness unavailable

How is this decided?
CVSS score
Not scored
010
No CVSS score recorded
EPSS score
0.23%
0%100%
Low · 0.00 pp in 30 days
KEVNot listedNot listed by any tracked catalog.
RansomwareNot flaggedNo ransomware use recorded.
Public exploits0No public exploits recorded

Advisory lineage

Upstream 0 · Downstream 15 · Related 13
RHSA-2023:6583RHSA-2023:7077SUSE-SU-2026:0263-1SUSE-SU-2026:0278-1SUSE-SU-2026:0281-1SUSE-SU-2026:0293-1

Timeline

  1. 30-12-2025
    PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
  2. 11-05-2026
    Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

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.

CVSS metrics

Risk metrics not yet published.

EPSS trend

Probability

0.23%

Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days

Percentile

14%

Versus all other CVEs

30-day change

No change 0.00 pp

From 0.23% on 04-10-2026

04-10-202603-11-2026

Known exploited

Compare KEV catalogs
CISA KEV

Not in the CISA KEV catalog.

ENISA CNW

Not in the ENISA CNW catalog.

CIRCL

Not in the CIRCL catalog.

Public exploits

0 found

No public exploits indexed.

Weaknesses

CWE · root cause

No weakness data has been published for this record.

Affected systems

Version check

Known conditions: not stated in public data.

Ubuntu124 products
  • linuxAll versions (No fix recorded) | < 5.4.0-166.183 | < 5.15.0-86.96
  • linux-allwinner-5.19All versions (No fix recorded)
  • linux-awsAll versions (No fix recorded) | < 5.4.0-1113.123 | < 5.15.0-1047.52
  • linux-aws-5.0All versions (No fix recorded)
  • linux-aws-5.11All versions (No fix recorded)
Debian1 product
  • linux< 6.1.52-1 | < 6.4.4-1
Linux1 product
  • linux≥ fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08, < 0bc12e41af4e3ae1f0efecc377f0514459df0707 | ≥ fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08, < 28259ce4f1f1f9ab37fa817756c89098213d2fc0 | ≥ fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08, < 90e3c10177573b8662ac9858abd9bf731d5d98e0 | ≥ fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08, < 250efb4d3f5b32a115ea6bf25437ba44a1b3c04f | ≥ fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08, < ad5425e70789c29b93acafb5bb4629e4eb908296 | ≥ fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08, < d1c2ff2bd84c3692c9df267a2b991ce92bfca8ef | ≥ fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08, < 8ed572e52714593b209e3aa352406aff84481179 | ≥ fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08, < 75acec91aeaa07375cd5f418069e61b16d39bbad | ≥ fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08, < f24292e827088bba8de7158501ac25a59b064953 | 2.6.35

3 vendors · 126 products

References

13 links
Show all 13 references