Linux Kernel ath12k Wi-Fi Driver Memory Leak Vulnerability

A memory leak vulnerability has been identified in the Linux kernel's ath12k Wi-Fi driver. This issue arises from redundant allocations of reception statistics (rx_stats) when the same station is added multiple times. Each addition triggers a new allocation of rx_stats, which is only freed when the station is removed, leading to memory leaks. The vulnerability has been addressed by modifying the station addition function to check for existing allocations before creating new ones, thereby preventing unnecessary memory usage.

Impact

Exploitation of this vulnerability leads to memory leaks, causing increased memory usage that is not released, which could potentially be exploited to degrade system performance or exhaust available memory resources.