# CVE-2024-53189: wifi: nl80211: fix bounds checker error in nl80211_parse_sched_scan

> A bounds checker error in the Linux kernel Wi-Fi subsystem can cause a kernel panic if UBSAN_TRAP is enabled, leading to denial of service.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 27 Dec 2024
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2024-53189, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-53189, GHSA-qw2p-m25f-7rcr, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-53189

## What is CVE-2024-53189?

CVE-2024-53189 is a medium-severity denial of service vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 27 Dec 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: nl80211: fix bounds checker error in nl80211_parse_sched_scan

The channels array in the cfg80211_scan_request has a __counted_by
attribute attached to it, which points to the n_channels variable. This
attribute is used in bounds checking, and if it is not set before the
array is filled, then the bounds sanitizer will issue a warning or a
kernel panic if CONFIG_UBSAN_TRAP is set.

This patch sets the size of allocated memory as the initial value for
n_channels. It is updated with the actual number of added elements after
the array is filled.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-53189?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-53189?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-53189 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-53189 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-2024-53189 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-53189 is a medium-severity denial of service vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 27 Dec 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-2024-53189 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-2024-53189/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-53189/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-53189
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-53189
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-53189

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-53189/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.