# CVE-2023-53315: wifi: ath11k: Fix SKB corruption in REO destination ring

> A memory corruption flaw in the ath11k WiFi driver causes kernel crashes when processing invalid RX descriptors, leading to denial of service.

- **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:** 16 Sep 2025
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2023-53315, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53315, GHSA-fv7c-cvj6-wrfg, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53315

## What is CVE-2023-53315?

CVE-2023-53315 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 16 Sep 2025. 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: ath11k: Fix SKB corruption in REO destination ring

While running traffics for a long time, randomly an RX descriptor
filled with value "0" from REO destination ring is received.
This descriptor which is invalid causes the wrong SKB (SKB stored in
the IDR lookup with buffer id "0") to be fetched which in turn
causes SKB memory corruption issue and the same leads to crash
after some time.

Changed the start id for idr allocation to "1" and the buffer id "0"
is reserved for error validation. Introduced Sanity check to validate
the descriptor, before processing the SKB.

Crash Signature :

Unable to handle kernel paging request at virtual address 3f004900
PC points to "b15_dma_inv_range+0x30/0x50"
LR points to "dma_cache_maint_page+0x8c/0x128".
The Backtrace obtained is as follows:
[<8031716c>] (b15_dma_inv_range) from [<80313a4c>] (dma_cache_maint_page+0x8c/0x128)
[<80313a4c>] (dma_cache_maint_page) from [<80313b90>] (__dma_page_dev_to_cpu+0x28/0xcc)
[<80313b90>] (__dma_page_dev_to_cpu) from [<7fb5dd68>] (ath11k_dp_process_rx+0x1e8/0x4a4 [ath11k])
[<7fb5dd68>] (ath11k_dp_process_rx [ath11k]) from [<7fb53c20>] (ath11k_dp_service_srng+0xb0/0x2ac [ath11k])
[<7fb53c20>] (ath11k_dp_service_srng [ath11k]) from [<7f67bba4>] (ath11k_pci_ext_grp_napi_poll+0x1c/0x78 [ath11k_pci])
[<7f67bba4>] (ath11k_pci_ext_grp_napi_poll [ath11k_pci]) from [<807d5cf4>] (__napi_poll+0x28/0xb8)
[<807d5cf4>] (__napi_poll) from [<807d5f28>] (net_rx_action+0xf0/0x280)
[<807d5f28>] (net_rx_action) from [<80302148>] (__do_softirq+0xd0/0x280)
[<80302148>] (__do_softirq) from [<80320408>] (irq_exit+0x74/0xd4)
[<80320408>] (irq_exit) from [<803638a4>] (__handle_domain_irq+0x90/0xb4)
[<803638a4>] (__handle_domain_irq) from [<805bedec>] (gic_handle_irq+0x58/0x90)
[<805bedec>] (gic_handle_irq) from [<80301a78>] (__irq_svc+0x58/0x8c)

Tested-on: IPQ8074 hw2.0 AHB WLAN.HK.2.7.0.1-01744-QCAHKSWPL_SILICONZ-1

Weakness: CWE-401 (Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-53315?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-53315?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-53315 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53315 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-2023-53315 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-53315 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 16 Sep 2025. 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-2023-53315 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-2023-53315/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53315/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-53315
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53315
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-53315

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53315/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.