Bug 2426122 (CVE-2023-54300)

Summary: CVE-2023-54300 kernel: wifi: ath9k: avoid referencing uninit memory in ath9k_wmi_ctrl_rx
Product: [Other] Security Response Reporter: OSIDB Bzimport <bzimport>
Component: vulnerabilityAssignee: Product Security DevOps Team <prodsec-dev>
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Description OSIDB Bzimport 2025-12-30 13:10:37 UTC
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.