CVE-2024-53191
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a double-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's ath12k WiFi driver that occurs during device unbinding when firmware initialization fails. The vulnerability allows potential kernel memory corruption and could lead to system crashes or privilege escalation. It primarily affects Linux systems using Qualcomm Atheros ath12k WiFi hardware.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with ath12k driver
📦 What is this software?
Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Kernel panic leading to denial of service, or potential privilege escalation to kernel mode if an attacker can trigger the double-free and control subsequent memory allocations.
Likely Case
System crash or kernel panic when unbinding the ath12k device, particularly in virtualized environments where MSI addressing initialization may fail.
If Mitigated
System remains stable as the patch prevents the double-free condition from occurring.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access and ability to trigger device unbinding operations. The vulnerability is a double-free that could potentially be leveraged for privilege escalation, but no public exploits are known.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Patches available in Linux kernel stable branches (commits: 223b546c6222d42147eff034433002ca5e2e7e09, 90556b96338aa6037cd26dac857327fda7c19732, 94c9100b600f05a36b33f9ed76dbd6fb0eb25386, ca68ce0d9f4bcd032fd1334441175ae399642a06)
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/223b546c6222d42147eff034433002ca5e2e7e09
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update to a patched Linux kernel version from your distribution's repositories. 2. For custom kernels, apply the relevant patch from the stable kernel tree. 3. Reboot the system to load the new kernel.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable ath12k driver
linuxPrevent loading of the vulnerable ath12k driver module
echo 'blacklist ath12k' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-ath12k.conf
rmmod ath12k
update-initramfs -u
Avoid device unbinding
linuxPrevent operations that trigger device unbinding for ath12k hardware
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict local access to prevent users from triggering device unbinding operations
- Monitor system logs for warnings related to ath12k driver or kernel memory management
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if ath12k driver is loaded: lsmod | grep ath12k. Check kernel version and whether it contains the vulnerable code.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version is updated to include the patch. Check dmesg for absence of double-free warnings during ath12k operations.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel warnings about 'free_large_kmalloc' in dmesg
- Ath12k driver error messages during initialization or unbinding
- Kernel panic or oops messages
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("free_large_kmalloc" OR "ath12k" AND ("warning" OR "error" OR "panic"))