# CVE-2023-52530: wifi: mac80211: fix potential key use-after-free

> A use-after-free in the Linux kernel Wi-Fi subsystem allows attackers to potentially execute code or cause a denial of service via specific rekey operations.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 2 Mar 2024
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2023-52530, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-52530, GHSA-w2hj-8f47-3gw5, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-52530

## What is CVE-2023-52530?

CVE-2023-52530 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 2 Mar 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

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

wifi: mac80211: fix potential key use-after-free

When ieee80211_key_link() is called by ieee80211_gtk_rekey_add()
but returns 0 due to KRACK protection (identical key reinstall),
ieee80211_gtk_rekey_add() will still return a pointer into the
key, in a potential use-after-free. This normally doesn't happen
since it's only called by iwlwifi in case of WoWLAN rekey offload
which has its own KRACK protection, but still better to fix, do
that by returning an error code and converting that to success on
the cfg80211 boundary only, leaving the error for bad callers of
ieee80211_gtk_rekey_add().

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-52530?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-52530?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-52530 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-52530 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-52530 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-52530 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 2 Mar 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-52530 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-52530/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-52530/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-52530
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-52530
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-52530

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-52530/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.