Re: [PATCH] mac80211: fix race in ieee80211_register_hw()

[Sumit Garg]

On Mon, 6 Apr 2020 at 18:38, Johannes Berg <johannes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> On Mon, 2020-04-06 at 16:04 +0300, Kalle Valo wrote:
> > Johannes Berg <johannes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:
> >
> > > On Mon, 2020-04-06 at 15:52 +0300, Kalle Valo wrote:
> > > > Johannes Berg <johannes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:
> > > >
> > > > > On Mon, 2020-04-06 at 15:44 +0300, Kalle Valo wrote:
> > > > > > >     user-space  ieee80211_register_hw()  RX IRQ
> > > > > > >     +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> > > > > > >        |                    |             |
> > > > > > >        |<---wlan0---wiphy_register()      |
> > > > > > >        |----start wlan0---->|             |
> > > > > > >        |                    |<---IRQ---(RX packet)
> > > > > > >        |              Kernel crash        |
> > > > > > >        |              due to unallocated  |
> > > > > > >        |              workqueue.          |
> > > > >
> > > > > [snip]
> > > > >
> > > > > > I have understood that no frames should be received until mac80211 calls
> > > > > > struct ieee80211_ops::start:
> > > > > >
> > > > > >  * @start: Called before the first netdevice attached to the hardware
> > > > > >  *         is enabled. This should turn on the hardware and must turn on
> > > > > >  *         frame reception (for possibly enabled monitor interfaces.)
> > > > >
> > > > > True, but I think he's saying that you can actually add and configure an
> > > > > interface as soon as the wiphy is registered?
> > > >
> > > > With '<---IRQ---(RX packet)' I assumed wcn36xx is delivering a frame to
> > > > mac80211 using ieee80211_rx(), but of course I'm just guessing here.
> > >
> > > Yeah, but that could be legitimate?
> >
> > Ah, I misunderstood then. The way I have understood is that no rx frames
> > should be delivered (= calling ieee80211_rx()_ before start() is called,
> > but if that's not the case please ignore me :)
>
> No no, that _is_ the case. But I think the "start wlan0" could end up
> calling it?
>

Sorry if I wasn't clear enough via the sequence diagram. It's a common
RX packet that arrives via ieee80211_tasklet_handler() which is
enabled via call to "struct ieee80211_ops::start" api.

-Sumit

> johannes
>