CVE-2023-54131
Memory Leak in Linux Kernel rt2x00 WiFi Driver on Device Removal
Publication date: 2025-12-24
Last updated on: 2025-12-24
Assigner: kernel.org
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| rt2800 | rt2800usb | * |
| rt2800 | rt2x00usb | * |
| rt2800 | rt2x00lib | * |
| linux | linux_kernel | * |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-UNKNOWN |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
This vulnerability is a memory leak in the Linux kernel's rt2x00 wireless driver. When a rt2x00 device is removed, its associated channel surveys are not properly freed, causing memory to be leaked. This issue was observable using kmemleak and has been fixed by ensuring the channel surveys are freed upon device removal.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
The memory leak caused by this vulnerability can lead to increased memory usage over time, potentially degrading system performance or causing instability, especially on systems frequently adding and removing rt2x00 wireless devices.
How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?
This vulnerability can be detected by observing memory leaks related to rt2x00 devices using the Linux kernel's kmemleak tool. You can enable kmemleak and check for unreferenced objects associated with rt2x00 devices. For example, run the following commands: 1. Enable kmemleak (if not already enabled): echo scan > /sys/kernel/debug/kmemleak 2. Check kmemleak reports: cat /sys/kernel/debug/kmemleak Look for unreferenced objects related to rt2x00 devices or systemd-udevd processes as indicated in the vulnerability description.
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
To mitigate this vulnerability, update the Linux kernel to a version where the fix has been applied, which frees the channel surveys on device removal to prevent the memory leak. If updating immediately is not possible, consider unloading and reloading the affected rt2x00 modules (rt2800lib, rt2800usb, rt2x00usb) carefully, and monitor memory usage with kmemleak to detect leaks until a proper patch is applied.