CVE-2026-53258 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE • 06/25/2026
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
wifi: fix leak if split 6 GHz scanning fails
rdev->int_scan_req is leaked if cfg80211_scan() fails. Note that it's supposed to be released at ___cfg80211_scan_done() but this doesn't happen as rdev->scan_req is NULL at that point, too, leading to the early return from the freeing function.
unreferenced object 0xffff8881161d0800 (size 512): comm "wpa_supplicant", pid 379, jiffies 4294749765 hex dump (first 32 bytes): 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................ 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 f0 81 13 16 81 88 ff ff ................ backtrace (crc c867fdb6): kmemleak_alloc+0x89/0x90 __kmalloc_noprof+0x2fd/0x410 cfg80211_scan+0x133/0x730 nl80211_trigger_scan+0xc69/0x1cc0 genl_family_rcv_msg_doit+0x204/0x2f0 genl_rcv_msg+0x431/0x6b0 netlink_rcv_skb+0x143/0x3f0 genl_rcv+0x27/0x40 netlink_unicast+0x4f6/0x820 netlink_sendmsg+0x797/0xce0 __sock_sendmsg+0xc4/0x160 ____sys_sendmsg+0x5e4/0x890 ___sys_sendmsg+0xf8/0x180 __sys_sendmsg+0x136/0x1e0 __x64_sys_sendmsg+0x76/0xc0 x64_sys_call+0x13f0/0x17d0
Found by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/25/2026
This vulnerability represents a memory leak in the linux kernel's wireless subsystem specifically affecting 6 GHz scanning operations. The issue occurs within the cfg80211 framework which manages wireless device configuration and scanning operations. When a split 6 GHz scanning operation fails, the rdev->int_scan_req object is not properly freed due to a logical error in the cleanup path. The vulnerability manifests when cfg80211_scan() function returns early due to failure conditions, preventing the normal cleanup routine from executing.
The technical flaw stems from improper resource management where the internal scan request structure rdev->int_scan_req is allocated but never released when scanning operations fail. This creates a memory leak that persists until the wireless device is removed or the system reboots. The kernel's memory leak detection mechanism identified this issue through kmemleak analysis, showing an unreferenced object of 512 bytes with a specific memory address pattern and process context indicating it was allocated by wpa_supplicant.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory consumption as it represents a resource exhaustion threat that could degrade system performance over time. Multiple failed scanning operations could accumulate these leaked objects, eventually leading to memory pressure and potential system instability. The leak affects wireless networking functionality particularly during 6 GHz band operations where split scanning is commonly employed, impacting both user devices and enterprise wireless infrastructure.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-401: Improper Release of Memory and follows patterns consistent with memory management errors in kernel space code. The issue demonstrates poor error handling in the wireless subsystem's cleanup logic where early returns prevent proper resource deallocation. From an attack perspective, while this represents a denial-of-service vector rather than a direct privilege escalation, it could be leveraged by malicious actors to consume system resources systematically. Mitigation strategies should focus on ensuring all allocated memory is properly freed regardless of execution path outcomes. The fix requires modifying the cfg80211_scan() function to ensure proper cleanup even when early returns occur, implementing defensive programming practices that guarantee resource deallocation in error conditions.
The vulnerability was discovered through systematic kernel verification processes by the Linux Verification Center, highlighting the importance of automated testing in kernel security. This memory leak scenario represents a common class of issues in kernel development where complex state management and error handling paths create opportunities for resource leaks. Proper implementation of the ATT&CK technique T1490: Inhibit System Recovery would be relevant here as this leak could prevent proper system recovery by consuming available memory resources, though the direct attack surface is limited to resource exhaustion rather than active exploitation.