CVE-2023-54300: Linux

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

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.

Affected products

• Linux Linux: from 2.6.35, before 4.14.322 (fixed in 4.14.322); from 4.15, before 4.19.291 (fixed in 4.19.291); from 4.20, before 5.4.251 (fixed in 5.4.251); from 5.5, before 5.10.188 (fixed in 5.10.188); from 5.11, before 5.15.121 (fixed in 5.15.121); from 5.16, before 6.1.39 (fixed in 6.1.39); …

Published 2025-12-30. Last modified 2026-06-17.