CVE-2023-53785 Details
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mt76: mt7921: don't assume adequate headroom for SDIO headers mt7921_usb_sdio_tx_prepare_skb() calls mt7921_usb_sdio_write_txwi() and mt7921_skb_add_usb_sdio_hdr(), both of which blindly assume that adequate headroom will be available in the passed skb. This assumption typically is satisfied when the skb was allocated in the net core for transmission via the mt7921 netdev (although even that is only an optimization and is not strictly guaranteed), but the assumption is sometimes not satisfied when the skb originated in the receive path of another netdev and was passed through to the mt7921, such as by the bridge layer. Blindly prepending bytes to an skb is always wrong. This commit introduces a call to skb_cow_head() before the call to mt7921_usb_sdio_write_txwi() in mt7921_usb_sdio_tx_prepare_skb() to ensure that at least MT_SDIO_TXD_SIZE + MT_SDIO_HDR_SIZE bytes can be pushed onto the skb. Without this fix, I can trivially cause kernel panics by bridging an MT7921AU-based USB 802.11ax interface with an Ethernet interface on an Intel Atom-based x86 system using its onboard RTL8169 PCI Ethernet adapter and also on an ARM-based Raspberry Pi 1 using its onboard SMSC9512 USB Ethernet adapter. Note that the panics do not occur in every system configuration, as they occur only if the receiving netdev leaves less headroom in its received skbs than the mt7921 needs for its SDIO headers. Here is an example stack trace of this panic on Raspberry Pi OS Lite 2023-02-21 running kernel 6.1.24+ [1]: skb_panic from skb_push+0x44/0x48 skb_push from mt7921_usb_sdio_tx_prepare_skb+0xd4/0x190 [mt7921_common] mt7921_usb_sdio_tx_prepare_skb [mt7921_common] from mt76u_tx_queue_skb+0x94/0x1d0 [mt76_usb] mt76u_tx_queue_skb [mt76_usb] from __mt76_tx_queue_skb+0x4c/0xc8 [mt76] __mt76_tx_queue_skb [mt76] from mt76_txq_schedule.part.0+0x13c/0x398 [mt76] mt76_txq_schedule.part.0 [mt76] from mt76_txq_schedule_all+0x24/0x30 [mt76] mt76_txq_schedule_all [mt76] from mt7921_tx_worker+0x58/0xf4 [mt7921_common] mt7921_tx_worker [mt7921_common] from __mt76_worker_fn+0x9c/0xec [mt76] __mt76_worker_fn [mt76] from kthread+0xbc/0xe0 kthread from ret_from_fork+0x14/0x34 After this fix, bridging the mt7921 interface works fine on both of my previously problematic systems. [1] https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/tree/5c276f55a4b21345cd4d6200a504ee991851ff7a
A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's handling of SDIO headers for the MT7921 wireless driver can lead to kernel panics. This issue arises in certain system configurations when the driver assumes there is enough headroom in the socket buffer (skb) for SDIO headers. The assumption is usually met when the skb is allocated for transmission via the MT7921 network device. However, it can fail when the skb comes from the receive path of another network device and is passed to MT7921, such as through the bridge layer. The vulnerability has been observed on Intel Atom-based x86 systems and ARM-based Raspberry Pi 1 systems, but not all configurations are affected.
Users can upgrade to the patched version of the Linux kernel, which includes the necessary fix. Instructions for downloading the latest stable kernel can be found on the official Linux kernel website.
Metrics
CVSS 4.0 Severity and Vector Strings:
CVSS 3.x Severity and Vector Strings:
No data available for CVSS Version 2.0 on this CVE.
Volerion
Assessed Dec 9, 2025References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
By selecting these links, you will be leaving this site. These are references gathered from the official CVE record and are not endorsed by Volerion.
| URL | Source(s) | Tag(s) |
|---|---|---|
| https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/414c0c04703423b78bc9dea1aa6493334dc61f6e | kernel.org | Source CodeVendor |
| https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5c8bbb79c7cbca65534badf360f3b1145759c7bc | kernel.org | Source CodeVendor |
| https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/98c4d0abf5c478db1ad126ff0c187dbb84c0803c | kernel.org | Source CodeVendor |
Weakness Enumeration
No weakness enumeration is available for this CVE.
Affected Products
| Product | Versions |
|---|---|
| Linux kernel | >= 6.1.0, < 6.1.24 (semver) |
CPE
Remediation
| |
| MediaTek MT7921AU | All versions |
CPE
Remediation
| |
Change History
3 change records found show changes
| Date | Action | Recorded By |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 4, 2026 | CVE Modified | kernel.org |
| Jun 17, 2026 | CVE Modified | kernel.org |
| Dec 9, 2025 | New CVE Received | kernel.org |
Volerion