[PATCH 3/3] netdev: handle local CMD_ASSOCIATE failures (for FT)

James Prestwood
2025-08-15T15:26:15Z

The issue surrounding this was described in detail in the previous
patch. The netdev piece simple and does two things:

1. Don't deauthenticate and fail the connection if the CMD_ASSOCIATE
ACK comes back with a failure. A local rejection like this should
not change the kernels internal state, so we can recover. In this
case call the connect callback directly with a failure which
station will handle.

2. Upon a successful CMD_ASSOCIATE ACK, signal
NETDEV_EVENT_ASSOCIATING to let station know. This did require
modifying the netdev_associate_event() to not duplicate event
calls, specifically when FT is being used.
---
src/netdev.c | 32 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++-----
1 file changed, 27 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

diff --git a/src/netdev.c b/src/netdev.c
index ca8bfea0..e45423be 100644
--- a/src/netdev.c
+++ b/src/netdev.c
@@ -2993,15 +2993,32 @@ static void netdev_cmd_ft_reassociate_cb(struct l_genl_msg *msg,
void *user_data)
{
struct netdev *netdev = user_data;
+ int err = l_genl_msg_get_error(msg);

netdev->connect_cmd_id = 0;

- if (l_genl_msg_get_error(msg) >= 0)
+ /*
+ * If CMD_ASSOCIATE was accepted we're committed to association and
+ * can no longer go back. Signal this to station so the state can
+ * transition to ft-roaming.
+ */
+ if (err >= 0) {
+ if (netdev->event_filter)
+ netdev->event_filter(netdev, NETDEV_EVENT_ASSOCIATING,
+ NULL, netdev->user_data);
return;
+ }

- netdev_deauth_and_fail_connection(netdev,
- NETDEV_RESULT_ASSOCIATION_FAILED,
- MMPDU_STATUS_CODE_UNSPECIFIED);
+ l_debug("failed FT reassocaition (%d)", err);
+
+ /*
+ * A failed ACK should not have changed the kernel's state. This means
+ * we should still be connected to the current AP and can proceed to
+ * trying more BSS's.
+ */
+
+ netdev->connect_cb(netdev, NETDEV_RESULT_ASSOCIATION_FAILED, NULL,
+ netdev->user_data);
}

static bool kernel_will_retry_auth(uint16_t status_code,
@@ -3185,7 +3202,12 @@ static void netdev_associate_event(struct l_genl_msg *msg,
if (!netdev->connected || netdev->aborting)
return;

- if (netdev->event_filter)
+ /*
+ * For FT this event is sent in the CMD_ASSOCIATE ack to indicate
+ * association was successfully started in the kernel, don't duplicate
+ * and send here too.
+ */
+ if (!netdev->in_ft && netdev->event_filter)
netdev->event_filter(netdev, NETDEV_EVENT_ASSOCIATING,
NULL, netdev->user_data);

--
2.34.1