LiveActive security incident?Get immediate response
CVE Record

CVE-2023-53071: wifi: mt76: do not run mt76_unregister_device() on unregistered hw

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.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
Discuss exposureBack to CVEs
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

This Linux kernel issue can crash a system when a specific MediaTek mt76 Wi-Fi driver path is removed after probing hardware without required firmware. It is primarily an availability risk, not a confirmed data theft or remote compromise issue.

Executive priority

Treat this as a targeted stability risk. Prioritize managed laptops, appliances, or edge systems with affected MediaTek Wi-Fi hardware, but do not escalate as internet-scale exploitation without new evidence.

Technical view

In the mt76 Wi-Fi driver, probing an mt7921e PCI card without firmware can leave hardware unregistered. Driver removal still called unregister logic unconditionally, causing a kernel NULL pointer dereference. The fix gates mt76_unregister_device so it runs only for registered hardware.

Likely exposure

Exposure appears limited to Linux systems using affected mt76/mt7921e PCI Wi-Fi driver paths, especially where firmware is missing or probe initialization is incomplete. Servers without this hardware or driver path are unlikely to be exposed based on provided evidence.

Exploitation context

The source bundle does not show KEV listing, active exploitation, public exploit use, or remote attack evidence. The described trigger involves driver probe and removal behavior under missing firmware conditions, suggesting local or operational crash scenarios.

Researcher notes

The CVE record lacks CVSS, CWE, and detailed distribution package mapping. The strongest evidence is the kernel fix description and stable commit references. Validation should focus on driver presence, hardware path, firmware state, and whether downstream kernels have backported the fix.

Mitigation direction

  • Update to a vendor kernel containing the referenced stable fixes.
  • Prioritize systems using MediaTek mt76 or mt7921e PCI Wi-Fi hardware.
  • Ensure required device firmware is present where this hardware is used.
  • Monitor vendor advisories for affected and fixed kernel package versions.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory Linux systems using mt76 or mt7921e PCI Wi-Fi drivers.
  • Check whether running kernels include the referenced stable fix commits.
  • Review crash logs for NULL pointer dereferences during mt76 driver removal.
  • Confirm firmware deployment for affected MediaTek Wi-Fi devices.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
5

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.

ATT&CK lookup starting points

Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.

cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2023-53071 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

Open ATT&CK lookup
Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

0CVSS vectors
3Timeline events
0ADP providers
4Source links

Vulnerability timeline

Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.

  1. CVE reservedCVE Program

    The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.

  2. CVE publishedCVE Program

    The CVE record was published.

  3. CVE updatedCVE Program

    The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
LinuxLinux1c71e03afe4b457a15e50de40006b927dfc00755, 1c71e03afe4b457a15e50de40006b927dfc00755, 1c71e03afe4b457a15e50de40006b927dfc00755unaffected
LinuxLinux5.18, 0, 6.1.113, 6.2.9, 6.3affected
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.