[PATCH] wifi: ath12k: fix use-after-free of arvif in assign_vif_chanctx()

From: James Kim

Date: Mon Mar 09 2026 - 22:45:13 EST


In ath12k_mac_op_assign_vif_chanctx(), arvif is obtained from
ath12k_mac_assign_link_vif() and then passed to
ath12k_mac_assign_vif_to_vdev(). Inside that function, when the
target radio (ar) differs from arvif->ar (multi-radio configuration),
the old arvif is freed via ath12k_mac_unassign_link_vif() -> kfree()
and a new one is allocated internally. However, only the ar pointer
is returned to the caller — the caller's arvif still points to the
freed memory.

The caller then continues to dereference this stale arvif pointer
at multiple locations (arvif->vdev_id, arvif->punct_bitmap,
arvif->is_started, etc.), resulting in a use-after-free.

Fix this by re-fetching arvif from ahvif->link[link_id] after
ath12k_mac_assign_vif_to_vdev() returns, since the link pointer
is always updated when a new arvif is assigned.

Fixes: 477cabfdb776 ("wifi: ath12k: modify link arvif creation and removal for MLO")
Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Signed-off-by: James Kim <james010kim@xxxxxxxxx>
---
drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath12k/mac.c | 11 +++++++++++
1 file changed, 11 insertions(+)

diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath12k/mac.c b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath12k/mac.c
index b253d1e3f405..ee44a8b59e9b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath12k/mac.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath12k/mac.c
@@ -12069,6 +12069,17 @@ ath12k_mac_op_assign_vif_chanctx(struct ieee80211_hw *hw,
return -EINVAL;
}

+ /* ath12k_mac_assign_vif_to_vdev() may free and reassign arvif
+ * internally when switching radios (ar != arvif->ar). Refresh
+ * arvif from ahvif->link[].
+ */
+ arvif = wiphy_dereference(hw->wiphy, ahvif->link[link_id]);
+ if (!arvif) {
+ ath12k_hw_warn(ah, "failed to get arvif for link %u after vdev assignment",
+ link_id);
+ return -ENOENT;
+ }
+
ab = ar->ab;

ath12k_dbg(ab, ATH12K_DBG_MAC,
--
2.43.0