CVE-2023-54036
wifi: rtl8xxxu: Fix memory leaks with RTL8723BU, RTL8192EU
- Published
- Updated
- Reserved
- Assigned by
- Linux
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: rtl8xxxu: Fix memory leaks with RTL8723BU, RTL8192EU The wifi + bluetooth combo chip RTL8723BU can leak memory (especially?) when it's connected to a bluetooth audio device. The busy bluetooth traffic generates lots of C2H (card to host) messages, which are not freed correctly. To fix this, move the dev_kfree_skb() call in rtl8xxxu_c2hcmd_callback() inside the loop where skb_dequeue() is called. The RTL8192EU leaks memory because the C2H messages are added to the queue and left there forever. (This was fine in the past because it probably wasn't sending any C2H messages until commit e542e66b7c2e ("wifi: rtl8xxxu: gen2: Turn on the rate control"). Since that commit it sends a C2H message when the TX rate changes.) To fix this, delete the check for rf_paths > 1 and the goto. Let the function process the C2H messages from RTL8192EU like the ones from the other chips. Theoretically the RTL8188FU could also leak like RTL8723BU, but it most likely doesn't send C2H messages frequently enough. This change was tested with RTL8723BU by Erhard F. I tested it with RTL8188FU and RTL8192EU.
Timeline
ID reserved
By Linux
Published
- 5 months later
· 5 months later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
No CVSS score yet: neither the CNA, CISA nor NVD has scored this CVE. NVD status: Deferred.
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 0.19% · top 92% of all CVEs (7 Nov 2026)
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Not scored.
Affected products
- affected e542e66b7c2ee2adeefdbb7f259f2f60cadf2819 – < 430f9f9bec53a75f9ccc53e156a66f13fc098b83
- affected e542e66b7c2ee2adeefdbb7f259f2f60cadf2819 – < 35fb0e275af1aa1ca0a9784417e90f988aaf8e78
- affected e542e66b7c2ee2adeefdbb7f259f2f60cadf2819 – < 93c3f34ec02fc81188d328287d4fddd498ccddea
- affected e542e66b7c2ee2adeefdbb7f259f2f60cadf2819 – < f39a86b4efd270947ee252cc32a30b0aef492d65
- affected e542e66b7c2ee2adeefdbb7f259f2f60cadf2819 – < b39f662ce1648db0b9de32e6a849b098480793cb
- affected 5.5
- unaffected < 5.5
- unaffected 5.10.173 – ≤ 5.10.*
- unaffected 5.15.99 – ≤ 5.15.*
- unaffected 6.1.16 – ≤ 6.1.*
- unaffected 6.2.3 – ≤ 6.2.*
- unaffected 6.3 – ≤ *
References (5)
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/430f9f9bec53a75f9ccc53e156a66f13fc098b83 (opens in a new tab)
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/35fb0e275af1aa1ca0a9784417e90f988aaf8e78 (opens in a new tab)
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/93c3f34ec02fc81188d328287d4fddd498ccddea (opens in a new tab)
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f39a86b4efd270947ee252cc32a30b0aef492d65 (opens in a new tab)
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b39f662ce1648db0b9de32e6a849b098480793cb (opens in a new tab)
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://trackcve.app/cve/CVE-2023-54036)Record last updated .