---
id: CVE-2023-53153
title: 'wifi: cfg80211: Fix use after free for wext'
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  wifi: cfg80211: Fix use after free for wext

  Key information in wext.connect is not reset on (re)connect and can hold
  data from a previous connection.

  Reset key data t…
severity: none
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= fffd0934b9390f34bec45762192b7edd3b12b4b5 <
    66af4a2ab1d65d556d638cb9555a3b823c2557a9
  - >-
    Linux >= fffd0934b9390f34bec45762192b7edd3b12b4b5 <
    a2a92b3e9d8e03ee3f9ee407fc46a9b4bd02d8b6
  - >-
    Linux >= fffd0934b9390f34bec45762192b7edd3b12b4b5 <
    6f1959c17d4cb5b74af6fc31dc787e1dc3e4f6e2
  - >-
    Linux >= fffd0934b9390f34bec45762192b7edd3b12b4b5 <
    2cfe78619b0de6d2da773978bc2d22797212eaa7
  - >-
    Linux >= fffd0934b9390f34bec45762192b7edd3b12b4b5 <
    fd081afd21eb35b968b0330700c43ec94986e1c4
  - >-
    Linux >= fffd0934b9390f34bec45762192b7edd3b12b4b5 <
    22dfb21bf1cd876616d45cda1bc6daa89eec6747
  - >-
    Linux >= fffd0934b9390f34bec45762192b7edd3b12b4b5 <
    f4b6a138efb8a32507b8946104e32cb926308da7
  - >-
    Linux >= fffd0934b9390f34bec45762192b7edd3b12b4b5 <
    015b8cc5e7c4d7bb671f1984d7b7338c310b185b
  - Linux 2.6.32
ssvc:
  exploitation: none
  automatable: 'no'
  technicalImpact: partial
  timestamp: '2026-11-05T20:19:15.587222Z'
published: '2025-09-15'
updated: '2026-11-05'
sourceUpdated: '2026-11-05T20:21:05.406Z'
source: CVEORG
sourceUrl: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-53153'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/66af4a2ab1d65d556d638cb9555a3b823c2557a9'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a2a92b3e9d8e03ee3f9ee407fc46a9b4bd02d8b6'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6f1959c17d4cb5b74af6fc31dc787e1dc3e4f6e2'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2cfe78619b0de6d2da773978bc2d22797212eaa7'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fd081afd21eb35b968b0330700c43ec94986e1c4'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/22dfb21bf1cd876616d45cda1bc6daa89eec6747'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f4b6a138efb8a32507b8946104e32cb926308da7'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/015b8cc5e7c4d7bb671f1984d7b7338c310b185b'
tags:
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00164
epssPercentile: 0.05595
ingestedAt: '2026-11-05T22:38:31.781Z'
---

## Overview

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

wifi: cfg80211: Fix use after free for wext

Key information in wext.connect is not reset on (re)connect and can hold
data from a previous connection.

Reset key data to avoid that drivers or mac80211 incorrectly detect a
WEP connection request and access the freed or already reused memory.

Additionally optimize cfg80211_sme_connect() and avoid an useless
schedule of conn_work.

## Affected

- `Linux >= fffd0934b9390f34bec45762192b7edd3b12b4b5 < 66af4a2ab1d65d556d638cb9555a3b823c2557a9`
- `Linux >= fffd0934b9390f34bec45762192b7edd3b12b4b5 < a2a92b3e9d8e03ee3f9ee407fc46a9b4bd02d8b6`
- `Linux >= fffd0934b9390f34bec45762192b7edd3b12b4b5 < 6f1959c17d4cb5b74af6fc31dc787e1dc3e4f6e2`
- `Linux >= fffd0934b9390f34bec45762192b7edd3b12b4b5 < 2cfe78619b0de6d2da773978bc2d22797212eaa7`
- `Linux >= fffd0934b9390f34bec45762192b7edd3b12b4b5 < fd081afd21eb35b968b0330700c43ec94986e1c4`
- `Linux >= fffd0934b9390f34bec45762192b7edd3b12b4b5 < 22dfb21bf1cd876616d45cda1bc6daa89eec6747`
- `Linux >= fffd0934b9390f34bec45762192b7edd3b12b4b5 < f4b6a138efb8a32507b8946104e32cb926308da7`
- `Linux >= fffd0934b9390f34bec45762192b7edd3b12b4b5 < 015b8cc5e7c4d7bb671f1984d7b7338c310b185b`
- `Linux 2.6.32`

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.