# CVE-2025-23133: wifi: ath11k: update channel list in reg notifier instead reg worker

> A race condition in the ath11k WiFi driver causes an out-of-bounds write, potentially allowing local attackers to execute code or crash the system.

- **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 Apr 2025
- **Updated:** 21 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2025-23133, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-23133, GHSA-5fx5-c375-9927, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2025-23133, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-13-CVE-2025-23133, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2025-23133, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2025-23133, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-23133

## What is CVE-2025-23133?

CVE-2025-23133 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 16 Apr 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: update channel list in reg notifier instead reg worker

Currently when ath11k gets a new channel list, it will be processed
according to the following steps:
1. update new channel list to cfg80211 and queue reg_work.
2. cfg80211 handles new channel list during reg_work.
3. update cfg80211's handled channel list to firmware by
ath11k_reg_update_chan_list().

But ath11k will immediately execute step 3 after reg_work is just
queued. Since step 2 is asynchronous, cfg80211 may not have completed
handling the new channel list, which may leading to an out-of-bounds
write error:
BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in ath11k_reg_update_chan_list
Call Trace:
    ath11k_reg_update_chan_list+0xbfe/0xfe0 [ath11k]
    kfree+0x109/0x3a0
    ath11k_regd_update+0x1cf/0x350 [ath11k]
    ath11k_regd_update_work+0x14/0x20 [ath11k]
    process_one_work+0xe35/0x14c0

Should ensure step 2 is completely done before executing step 3. Thus
Wen raised patch[1]. When flag NL80211_REGDOM_SET_BY_DRIVER is set,
cfg80211 will notify ath11k after step 2 is done.

So enable the flag NL80211_REGDOM_SET_BY_DRIVER then cfg80211 will
notify ath11k after step 2 is done. At this time, there will be no
KASAN bug during the execution of the step 3.

[1] https://patchwork.kernel.org/project/linux-wireless/patch/20230201065313.27203-1-quic_wgong@quicinc.com/

Tested-on: WCN6855 hw2.0 PCI WLAN.HSP.1.1-03125-QCAHSPSWPL_V1_V2_SILICONZ_LITE-3

Weakness: CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-23133?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-23133?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-23133 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-23133 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-2025-23133 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-23133 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 16 Apr 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-2025-23133 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-2025-23133/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-23133/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-23133
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-23133
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-23133

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-23133/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.