[PATCH] wifi: ath9k: stop WMI event tasklet from rescheduling itself on probe failure
From: Deepanshu Kartikey
Date: Fri Oct 02 2026 - 22:12:01 EST
Since the init guards were consolidated, ath9k_wmi_event_tasklet()
reschedules itself until priv->initialized is set. If
ath9k_init_device() fails, initialized is never set, so the tasklet
keeps rescheduling itself while the probe error path calls
ath9k_destroy_wmi() and frees struct wmi. tasklet_action_common() then
touches the freed tasklet, causing a slab-use-after-free.
Make the tasklet drop its queued events and stop rescheduling once
wmi->stopped is set, and call tasklet_kill() before freeing wmi in
ath9k_destroy_wmi(). The probe error path already sets stopped and
kills the RX URBs first, so the tasklet cannot be re-armed afterwards.
Fixes: 1af8dc9ca726 ("wifi: ath9k: Clean up device initialisation guards")
Reported-by: syzbot+e91dc13b1b37759b3d9f@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Closes: https://syzkaller.appspot.com/bug?extid=e91dc13b1b37759b3d9f
Tested-by: syzbot+e91dc13b1b37759b3d9f@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Signed-off-by: Deepanshu Kartikey <kartikey406@xxxxxxxxx>
---
drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/wmi.c | 7 +++++++
1 file changed, 7 insertions(+)
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/wmi.c b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/wmi.c
index 4a08babb6d9d..f8b174b0f209 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/wmi.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/wmi.c
@@ -122,6 +122,10 @@ void ath9k_stop_wmi(struct ath9k_htc_priv *priv)
void ath9k_destroy_wmi(struct ath9k_htc_priv *priv)
{
+ struct wmi *wmi = priv->wmi;
+
+ tasklet_kill(&wmi->wmi_event_tasklet);
+ skb_queue_purge(&wmi->wmi_event_queue);
kfree(priv->wmi);
}
@@ -148,6 +152,10 @@ void ath9k_wmi_event_tasklet(struct tasklet_struct *t)
/* Check if ath9k_init_device() completed. */
if (!smp_load_acquire(&priv->initialized)) {
+ if (READ_ONCE(wmi->stopped)) {
+ skb_queue_purge(&wmi->wmi_event_queue);
+ return;
+ }
tasklet_schedule(t);
return;
}
--
2.43.0