CVE-2023-53532

wifi: ath11k: fix deinitialization of firmware resources

Published Oct 1, 2025 CVSS 3.1 · 5.5 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

wifi: ath11k: fix deinitialization of firmware resources

Currently, in ath11k_ahb_fw_resources_init(), iommu domain
mapping is done only for the chipsets having fixed firmware
memory. Also, for such chipsets, mapping is done only if it
does not have TrustZone support.

During deinitialization, only if TrustZone support is not there,
iommu is unmapped back. However, for non fixed firmware memory
chipsets, TrustZone support is not there and this makes the
condition check to true and it tries to unmap the memory which
was not mapped during initialization.

This leads to the following trace -

[ 83.198790] Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 0000000000000008
[ 83.259537] Modules linked in: ath11k_ahb ath11k qmi_helpers
.. snip ..
[ 83.280286] pstate: 20000005 (nzCv daif -PAN -UAO -TCO -DIT -SSBS BTYPE=--)
[ 83.287228] pc : __iommu_unmap+0x30/0x140
[ 83.293907] lr : iommu_unmap+0x5c/0xa4
[ 83.298072] sp : ffff80000b3abad0
.. snip ..
[ 83.369175] Call trace:
[ 83.376282] __iommu_unmap+0x30/0x140
[ 83.378541] iommu_unmap+0x5c/0xa4
[ 83.382360] ath11k_ahb_fw_resource_deinit.part.12+0x2c/0xac [ath11k_ahb]
[ 83.385666] ath11k_ahb_free_resources+0x140/0x17c [ath11k_ahb]
[ 83.392521] ath11k_ahb_shutdown+0x34/0x40 [ath11k_ahb]
[ 83.398248] platform_shutdown+0x20/0x2c
[ 83.403455] device_shutdown+0x16c/0x1c4
[ 83.407621] kernel_restart_prepare+0x34/0x3c
[ 83.411529] kernel_restart+0x14/0x74
[ 83.415781] __do_sys_reboot+0x1c4/0x22c
[ 83.419427] __arm64_sys_reboot+0x1c/0x24
[ 83.423420] invoke_syscall+0x44/0xfc
[ 83.427326] el0_svc_common.constprop.3+0xac/0xe8
[ 83.430974] do_el0_svc+0xa0/0xa8
[ 83.435659] el0_svc+0x1c/0x44
[ 83.438957] el0t_64_sync_handler+0x60/0x144
[ 83.441910] el0t_64_sync+0x15c/0x160
[ 83.446343] Code: aa0103f4 f9400001 f90027a1 d2800001 (f94006a0)
[ 83.449903] ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]---

This can be reproduced by probing an AHB chipset which is not
having a fixed memory region. During reboot (or rmmod) trace
can be seen.

Fix this issue by adding a condition check on firmware fixed memory
hw_param as done in the counter initialization function.

Tested-on: IPQ8074 hw2.0 AHB WLAN.HK.2.7.0.1-01744-QCAHKSWPL_SILICONZ-1

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
EUVD EUVD EUVD-2025-31891
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-908
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.0, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
Type Values Removed Values Added
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.0, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

threat_severity

Moderate

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: ath11k: fix deinitialization of firmware resources Currently, in ath11k_ahb_fw_resources_init(), iommu domain mapping is done only for the chipsets having fixed firmware memory. Also, for such chipsets, mapping is done only if it does not have TrustZone support. During deinitialization, only if TrustZone support is not there, iommu is unmapped back. However, for non fixed firmware memory chipsets, TrustZone support is not there and this makes the condition check to true and it tries to unmap the memory which was not mapped during initialization. This leads to the following trace - [ 83.198790] Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 0000000000000008 [ 83.259537] Modules linked in: ath11k_ahb ath11k qmi_helpers .. snip .. [ 83.280286] pstate: 20000005 (nzCv daif -PAN -UAO -TCO -DIT -SSBS BTYPE=--) [ 83.287228] pc : __iommu_unmap+0x30/0x140 [ 83.293907] lr : iommu_unmap+0x5c/0xa4 [ 83.298072] sp : ffff80000b3abad0 .. snip .. [ 83.369175] Call trace: [ 83.376282] __iommu_unmap+0x30/0x140 [ 83.378541] iommu_unmap+0x5c/0xa4 [ 83.382360] ath11k_ahb_fw_resource_deinit.part.12+0x2c/0xac [ath11k_ahb] [ 83.385666] ath11k_ahb_free_resources+0x140/0x17c [ath11k_ahb] [ 83.392521] ath11k_ahb_shutdown+0x34/0x40 [ath11k_ahb] [ 83.398248] platform_shutdown+0x20/0x2c [ 83.403455] device_shutdown+0x16c/0x1c4 [ 83.407621] kernel_restart_prepare+0x34/0x3c [ 83.411529] kernel_restart+0x14/0x74 [ 83.415781] __do_sys_reboot+0x1c4/0x22c [ 83.419427] __arm64_sys_reboot+0x1c/0x24 [ 83.423420] invoke_syscall+0x44/0xfc [ 83.427326] el0_svc_common.constprop.3+0xac/0xe8 [ 83.430974] do_el0_svc+0xa0/0xa8 [ 83.435659] el0_svc+0x1c/0x44 [ 83.438957] el0t_64_sync_handler+0x60/0x144 [ 83.441910] el0t_64_sync+0x15c/0x160 [ 83.446343] Code: aa0103f4 f9400001 f90027a1 d2800001 (f94006a0) [ 83.449903] ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]--- This can be reproduced by probing an AHB chipset which is not having a fixed memory region. During reboot (or rmmod) trace can be seen. Fix this issue by adding a condition check on firmware fixed memory hw_param as done in the counter initialization function. Tested-on: IPQ8074 hw2.0 AHB WLAN.HK.2.7.0.1-01744-QCAHKSWPL_SILICONZ-1
Title wifi: ath11k: fix deinitialization of firmware resources
References
Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
Linux
Published
Updated
Nov 5, 2026, 8:31 PM
Reserved
Oct 1, 2025, 11:39 AM
Status
Analyzed
Published
Oct 1, 2025, 12:15 PM
Modified
Nov 5, 2026, 9:17 PM
Severity
Moderate
Public date
Oct 1, 2025, 12:00 AM