Linux Kernel ath11k Component Sleeping-in-Atomic Vulnerability

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's ath11k wireless driver can lead to improper handling of function calls that may sleep, causing potential disruptions in the expected execution flow. This issue arises because the function 'ath11k_mac_disable_peer_fixed_rate' is used as an iterator in 'ieee80211_iterate_stations_atomic', which requires atomic operations. However, 'ath11k_mac_disable_peer_fixed_rate' can sleep, leading to a warning about sleeping functions being called from an invalid context. This vulnerability has been addressed by changing the iterator to 'ieee80211_iterate_stations_mtx', which allows for safe operations without the risk of sleeping in an atomic context.

Impact

Exploitation of this vulnerability can cause warnings about improper function context, which may indicate deeper issues in the execution flow that could be exploited under certain conditions.

Reproduction

The vulnerability can be reproduced by using the 'ath11k_mac_disable_peer_fixed_rate' function as an iterator in 'ieee80211_iterate_stations_atomic'. This will trigger a warning about sleeping functions being called from an invalid context, indicating that the vulnerability is present.

Remediation

The vulnerability has been fixed in the Linux kernel. Users should upgrade to the latest version where this issue has been addressed.