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NVD / CVE Program· CNA Linux

CVE-2023-54036: wifi: rtl8xxxu: Fix memory leaks with RTL8723BU, RTL8192EU

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 0/100)

  • The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.18% (FIRST EPSS).
  • Fixed version: Linux Linux 35fb0e275af1aa1ca0a9784417e90f988aaf8e78, 430f9f9bec53a75f9ccc53e156a66f13fc098b83, 93c3f34ec02fc81188d328287d4fddd498ccddea.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 35fb0e275af1aa1ca0a9784417e90f988aaf8e78, 430f9f9bec53a75f9ccc53e156a66f13fc098b83, 93c3f34ec02fc81188d328287d4fddd498ccddea or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

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.

—No exploit Fix available
Published
Dec 24, 2025
Updated
Jun 17, 2026
EPSS
0.1% · 8th percentile
CWE
—

Report tools

JSON

Action score

0

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
0 / 40 · —
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.1%

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

—

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (Linux). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • Linux Linux

    • 5.5affected
    • e542e66b7c2ee2adeefdbb7f259f2f60cadf2819 and later · before 430f9f9bec53a75f9ccc53e156a66f13fc098b83affected · git
    • e542e66b7c2ee2adeefdbb7f259f2f60cadf2819 and later · before 35fb0e275af1aa1ca0a9784417e90f988aaf8e78affected · git
    • e542e66b7c2ee2adeefdbb7f259f2f60cadf2819 and later · before 93c3f34ec02fc81188d328287d4fddd498ccddeaaffected · git
    • e542e66b7c2ee2adeefdbb7f259f2f60cadf2819 and later · before f39a86b4efd270947ee252cc32a30b0aef492d65affected · git
    • e542e66b7c2ee2adeefdbb7f259f2f60cadf2819 and later · before b39f662ce1648db0b9de32e6a849b098480793cbaffected · git
    • before 5.5not affected · semver
    • 5.10.173 and later · up to and including 5.10.*not affected · semver
    • 5.15.99 and later · up to and including 5.15.*not affected · semver
    • 6.1.16 and later · up to and including 6.1.*not affected · semver

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:12linuxbefore 6.1.20-16.1.20-1

Same product

linux: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2026-74705udp: fix potential use-after-free in tunnel segmentation
    40Plan
  • CVE-2026-74612veth: fix skb length accounting after XDP frag adjustment
    40Plan
  • CVE-2026-74475vxlan: use neigh_ha_snapshot() in route_shortcircuit()
    40Plan

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2023-54034Dec 24, 2025 · iommufd: Make sure to zero vfio_iommu_type1_info before copying to user
    0Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2023-54035Dec 24, 2025 · netfilter: nf_tables: fix underflow in chain reference counter
    31Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2023-54037Dec 24, 2025 · ice: prevent NULL pointer deref during reload
    0Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
Linux Linux35fb0e275af1aa1ca0a9784417e90f988aaf8e78Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux430f9f9bec53a75f9ccc53e156a66f13fc098b83Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux93c3f34ec02fc81188d328287d4fddd498ccddeaVendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxb39f662ce1648db0b9de32e6a849b098480793cbVendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxf39a86b4efd270947ee252cc32a30b0aef492d65Vendor (CNA)
debian:linux6.1.20-1 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

No history yet (it accumulates with the daily EPSS job).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Credits

All researchers

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No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

No nightly-computed relations.

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

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Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

No CVSS vector for this record, so attack conditions can't be derived.

Weakness class (CWE)

—

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

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References

Show all references (4 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

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