# CVE-2024-53191: wifi: ath12k: fix warning when unbinding

> A double-free vulnerability in the ath12k WiFi driver can cause a kernel warning and potential denial of service during device unbinding.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2024-53191, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-53191, GHSA-96q6-8hjq-2q63, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-53191

## What is CVE-2024-53191?

CVE-2024-53191 is a high-severity use after free 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: ath12k: fix warning when unbinding

If there is an error during some initialization related to firmware,
the buffers dp->tx_ring[i].tx_status are released.
However this is released again when the device is unbinded (ath12k_pci),
and we get:
WARNING: CPU: 0 PID: 2098 at mm/slub.c:4689 free_large_kmalloc+0x4d/0x80
Call Trace:
free_large_kmalloc
ath12k_dp_free
ath12k_core_deinit
ath12k_pci_remove
...

The issue is always reproducible from a VM because the MSI addressing
initialization is failing.

In order to fix the issue, just set the buffers to NULL after releasing in
order to avoid the double free.

Weakness: CWE-415 (Double Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-53191?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-53191?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-53191 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-53191 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-2024-53191 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-53191 is a high-severity use after free 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-2024-53191 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-2024-53191/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-53191/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-53191
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-53191
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-53191

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-53191/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.