Linux Kernel ath11k Wi-Fi Driver Memory Leak Vulnerability

A memory leak vulnerability has been identified in the Linux kernel's ath11k Wi-Fi driver, specifically in the handling of WMI firmware statistics. The issue arises because memory allocated for firmware physical device, virtual device, and beacon statistics is not released when the module is removed. This vulnerability affects several versions of the Linux kernel, including the stable tree version that contains the fix. The problem was observed in the QCN9074 hardware version 1.0, under the WLAN.HK.2.7.0.1-01744-QCAHKSWPL_SILICONZ-1 firmware.

Impact

The vulnerability leads to a memory leak, where allocated memory is not properly released, potentially causing increased memory usage and degradation of system performance over time.

Reproduction

The vulnerability can be reproduced by loading the ath11k Wi-Fi driver module, which can be done using the modprobe command. After the module is loaded, the firmware statistics are processed, and then the module is removed using the rmmod command. The memory leak can be observed by monitoring the system's memory usage, which will show an increase due to the unreleased statistics memory.

Remediation

Users can apply the latest patches available in the Linux kernel stable tree to address this vulnerability. Instructions for downloading the patched version can be found in the Linux kernel documentation.