CVE-2023-54275: 
Linux Kernel vulnerability analysis and mitigation

CVE-2023-54275 is a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's ath11k Wi-Fi driver, specifically in the ath11k_peer_rx_frag_setup function. When crypto_alloc_shash() allocates cryptographic resources and a subsequent ath11k_peer_find() call fails, the allocated memory is not released via crypto_free_shash(), resulting in a kernel memory leak. The vulnerability affects Linux kernel versions starting from commit 243874c64c81 across multiple stable branches, with patches available in versions 5.10.173, 5.15.99, 6.1.16, 6.2.3, and 6.3. It was published on December 30, 2025, and carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.0 (High) per Red Hat's assessment (Red Hat CVE, Red Hat Bugzilla).

The root cause is a missing resource cleanup path (CWE-401: Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime) in the ath11k_peer_rx_frag_setup function of the Linux kernel's ath11k Wi-Fi driver. When crypto_alloc_shash() successfully allocates a hash transform object but the subsequent ath11k_peer_find() call fails to locate the peer, the code returns an error without calling crypto_free_shash() to release the allocated resources. The fix adds the missing crypto_free_shash() call in the error handling path to ensure proper cleanup. Exploitation requires local access with low privileges and high attack complexity, as an attacker would need to trigger the specific error condition in the driver (Red Hat CVE).

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability results in a kernel memory leak, which over time can degrade system performance and potentially exhaust kernel memory resources, leading to availability impacts. The CVSS scoring also attributes high confidentiality and integrity impact, suggesting that in certain conditions the memory leak could expose sensitive kernel memory contents or be leveraged as part of a more complex exploit chain. The vulnerability is limited in scope to the local system running an affected Linux kernel with the ath11k Wi-Fi driver loaded (Red Hat CVE).

The Linux kernel maintainers have released patches across multiple stable branches. Users should update to the following patched versions or later: Linux 5.10.173, 5.15.99, 6.1.16, 6.2.3, or 6.3. The fix is contained in commits 137963e3b957 (5.10.x), 53c8a256e5d3 (5.15.x), e596b36e15a7 (6.1.x), 64a78ec4f457 (6.2.x), and ed3f83b3459a (6.3.x). As a workaround, systems that do not use Qualcomm ath11k-based Wi-Fi hardware can unload or blacklist the ath11k kernel module to eliminate exposure (Red Hat CVE, Red Hat Bugzilla).