In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
wifi: cfg80211: cancel sched scan results work on unregister
cfg80211_sched_scan_results() can queue rdev->sched_scan_res_wk from a driver result notification while a scheduled scan request is present. The work callback recovers the containing cfg80211_registered_device and then locks the wiphy and walks the scheduled-scan request list.
wiphy_unregister() already makes the wiphy unreachable and drains rdev work items before cfg80211_dev_free() can release the object, but it does not drain sched_scan_res_wk. A queued or running result work item can therefore cross the unregister/free boundary and access freed rdev state.
The buggy scenario involves two paths, with each column showing the order within that path:
scheduled-scan result path: unregister/free path:
- cfg80211_sched_scan_results() 1. interface teardown stops and
- cfg80211_wq starts the work 2. wiphy_unregister() drains other
- The worker locks rdev->wiphy 3. cfg80211_dev_free() destroys and
Cancel sched_scan_res_wk in wiphy_unregister() alongside the other rdev work items. cancel_work_sync() removes a pending result notification and waits for an already running callback, so cfg80211_dev_free() cannot free rdev while this work item is still active.
Validation reproduced this kernel report: BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in cfg80211_sched_scan_results_wk+0x4a6/0x530 Workqueue: cfg80211 cfg80211_sched_scan_results_wk [cfg80211] Read of size 8 Call trace: dump_stack_lvl+0x66/0xa0 print_report+0xce/0x630 cfg80211_sched_scan_results_wk+0x4a6/0x530 srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5 __virt_addr_valid+0x224/0x430 kasan_report+0xac/0xe0 lockdep_hardirqs_on_prepare+0xea/0x1a0 process_one_work+0x8d0/0x18f0 (kernel/workqueue.c:3212) lock_is_held_type+0x8f/0x100 worker_thread+0x5ad/0xfd0 __kthread_parkme+0xc6/0x200 kthread+0x31e/0x410 trace_hardirqs_on+0x1a/0x170 ret_from_fork+0x576/0x810 __switch_to+0x57e/0xe20 __switch_to_asm+0x33/0x70 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30