CVE-2025-38199
Description
From CVE.org
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: ath12k: Fix memory leak due to multiple rx_stats allocation rx_stats for each arsta is allocated when adding a station. arsta->rx_stats will be freed when a station is removed. Redundant allocations are occurring when the same station is added multiple times. This causes ath12k_mac_station_add() to be called multiple times, and rx_stats is allocated each time. As a result there is memory leaks. Prevent multiple allocations of rx_stats when ath12k_mac_station_add() is called repeatedly by checking if rx_stats is already allocated before allocating again. Allocate arsta->rx_stats if arsta->rx_stats is NULL respectively. Tested-on: QCN9274 hw2.0 PCI WLAN.WBE.1.3.1-00173-QCAHKSWPL_SILICONZ-1 Tested-on: WCN7850 hw2.0 PCI WLAN.HMT.1.0.c5-00481-QCAHMTSWPL_V1.0_V2.0_SILICONZ-3
Statement
A memory leak was fixed in the ath12k wireless driver. The issue occurred when ath12k_mac_station_add() was called multiple times for the same station, leading to repeated allocations of arsta->rx_stats without freeing the previously allocated memory. The fix ensures that rx_stats is only allocated if it hasn't been already, preventing redundant allocations. The Privileges Required for CVSS is Low (PR: L), because adding stations typically requires CAP_NET_ADMIN or equivalent system-level privileges. The related param CONFIG_ATH12K disabled for older versions of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux versions, so actual only for latest versions of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (where CONFIG_ATH12K=m).
Mitigation
To mitigate this issue, prevent the `ath12k` module from being loaded. Please see https://access.redhat.com/solutions/41278 for how to blacklist a kernel module to prevent it from loading automatically. Note that this will make hardware that uses that chipset unavailable, so this mitigation is not suitable for systems that rely on Qualcomm Wi-Fi 7 network adapters.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 5.5 | 5.5 | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Local | Local | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | Low | Low | N/A |
| Privileges Required | Low | Low | N/A |
| User Interaction | None | None | N/A |
| Scope | Unchanged | Unchanged | N/A |
| Confidentiality | None | None | N/A |
| Integrity Impact | None | None | N/A |
| Availability Impact | High | High | N/A |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
NVD: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Resource Consumption (Other); DoS: Resource Consumption (Memory); DoS: Resource Consumption (CPU)
An attacker that can influence the allocation of resources that are not properly released could deplete the available resource pool and prevent all other processes from accessing the same type of resource. Frequently-affected resources include memory, CPU, disk space, power or battery, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions
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