CVE-2025-38290

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

wifi: ath12k: fix node corruption in ar->arvifs list

In current WLAN recovery code flow, ath12k_core_halt() only reinitializes the arvifs list head. This will cause the list node immediately following the list head to become an invalid list node. Because the prev of that node still points to the list head arvifs, but the next of the list head arvifs no longer points to that list node.

When a WLAN recovery occurs during the execution of a vif removal, and it happens before the spin_lock_bh(&ar->data_lock) in ath12k_mac_vdev_delete(), list_del() will detect the previously mentioned situation, thereby triggering a kernel panic.

The fix is to remove and reinitialize all vif list nodes from the list head arvifs during WLAN halt. The reinitialization is to make the list nodes valid, ensuring that the list_del() in ath12k_mac_vdev_delete() can execute normally.

Call trace: __list_del_entry_valid_or_report+0xd4/0x100 (P) ath12k_mac_remove_link_interface.isra.0+0xf8/0x2e4 [ath12k] ath12k_scan_vdev_clean_work+0x40/0x164 [ath12k] cfg80211_wiphy_work+0xfc/0x100 process_one_work+0x164/0x2d0 worker_thread+0x254/0x380 kthread+0xfc/0x100 ret_from_fork+0x10/0x20

The change is mostly copied from the ath11k patch: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20250320053145.3445187-1-quic_stonez@quicinc.com/

Tested-on: QCN9274 hw2.0 PCI WLAN.WBE.1.4.1-00199-QCAHKSWPL_SILICONZ-1

Weakness

The product contains a concurrent code sequence that requires temporary, exclusive access to a shared resource, but a timing window exists in which the shared resource can be modified by another code sequence operating concurrently.

Affected Software

Extended Description

A race condition occurs within concurrent environments, and it is effectively a property of a code sequence. Depending on the context, a code sequence may be in the form of a function call, a small number of instructions, a series of program invocations, etc. A race condition violates these properties, which are closely related:

A race condition exists when an “interfering code sequence” can still access the shared resource, violating exclusivity. The interfering code sequence could be “trusted” or “untrusted.” A trusted interfering code sequence occurs within the product; it cannot be modified by the attacker, and it can only be invoked indirectly. An untrusted interfering code sequence can be authored directly by the attacker, and typically it is external to the vulnerable product.

Potential Mitigations

• Minimize the usage of shared resources in order to remove as much complexity as possible from the control flow and to reduce the likelihood of unexpected conditions occurring.
• Additionally, this will minimize the amount of synchronization necessary and may even help to reduce the likelihood of a denial of service where an attacker may be able to repeatedly trigger a critical section (CWE-400).

Related Attack Patterns

• https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/26.html
• https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/29.html

References

• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6285516170f9e2f04b9dbf1e5100e0d7cbac22b4
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6bfe7ae9bbd9734751b853e2d2e1c13e8b46fd2d
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/823435bd23108d6f8be89ea2d025c0e2e3769c51
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/be049199dec9189602bc06e2c70eda3aa0f2ea6e