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From: Sasha Levin <sashal@kernel.org>
To: patches@lists.linux.dev, stable@vger.kernel.org
Cc: Po-Hao Huang <phhuang@realtek.com>,
	Ping-Ke Shih <pkshih@realtek.com>,
	Sasha Levin <sashal@kernel.org>,
	linux-wireless@vger.kernel.org
Subject: [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19-6.12] wifi: rtw89: fix unable to receive probe responses under MLO connection
Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2026 16:23:32 -0500	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <20260214212452.782265-67-sashal@kernel.org> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <20260214212452.782265-1-sashal@kernel.org>

From: Po-Hao Huang <phhuang@realtek.com>

[ Upstream commit 6f6d7a325fbde4f025ee1b1277f6f44727e21223 ]

During MLO connections, A1 of the probe responses we received are
in link address, these frames will then be dropped by mac80211 due to
not matching the MLD address in ieee80211_scan_accept_presp().
Fix this by using MLD address to scan when not using random MAC address.

Signed-off-by: Po-Hao Huang <phhuang@realtek.com>
Signed-off-by: Ping-Ke Shih <pkshih@realtek.com>
Link: https://patch.msgid.link/20260114013950.19704-13-pkshih@realtek.com
Signed-off-by: Sasha Levin <sashal@kernel.org>
---

LLM Generated explanations, may be completely bogus:

## Analysis of commit: "wifi: rtw89: fix unable to receive probe
responses under MLO connection"

### 1. Commit Message Analysis

The commit message is clear and describes a real user-visible bug:
- **Problem**: During MLO (Multi-Link Operation) connections, probe
  responses have A1 (destination address) set to the link address, but
  mac80211's `ieee80211_scan_accept_presp()` checks against the MLD
  address. This causes all probe responses to be dropped during
  scanning.
- **Impact**: WiFi scanning is completely broken under MLO connections —
  the device cannot receive probe responses, which means it cannot
  discover or reconnect to access points while in an MLO connection.
- **Fix**: Use the MLD address (from `vif->addr`) instead of the link
  address when initiating scans under MLO, unless random MAC scanning is
  requested.

The word "fix" is in the subject, and the description clearly explains a
real functional bug.

### 2. Code Change Analysis

The change is minimal and surgical:

1. **One new variable declaration**: `struct ieee80211_vif *vif =
   rtwvif_link_to_vif(rtwvif_link);` — retrieves the VIF structure to
   access the MLD address.

2. **Two new lines of logic** added to the MAC address selection:
```c
else if (ieee80211_vif_is_mld(vif))
    ether_addr_copy(mac_addr, vif->addr);
```

This is inserted between the random MAC address case and the default
link address case. The logic flow becomes:
- If random MAC scanning → use random MAC (unchanged)
- **NEW**: If MLO connection → use MLD address (`vif->addr`)
- Else → use link address (unchanged, existing behavior)

This is a clean, well-structured conditional addition that doesn't alter
existing behavior for non-MLO cases.

### 3. Classification

This is a **bug fix** — it fixes broken WiFi scanning functionality
under MLO connections. Without this fix, probe responses are silently
dropped, making scanning non-functional in MLO mode.

### 4. Scope and Risk Assessment

- **Lines changed**: ~4 lines (1 variable declaration, 2 lines of new
  conditional logic, 1 existing line unchanged)
- **Files changed**: 1 file (`drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtw89/fw.c`)
- **Risk**: Very low. The change only affects the MLO path (guarded by
  `ieee80211_vif_is_mld()`), so non-MLO operation is completely
  unaffected. The fix is logically correct — when in MLO mode, using the
  MLD address is the right thing to do since that's what mac80211
  expects.

### 5. User Impact

- **Who is affected**: Users of Realtek rtw89 WiFi adapters using MLO
  (WiFi 7 / 802.11be) connections.
- **Severity**: High for affected users — scanning is completely broken
  under MLO, meaning the device can't discover networks while connected
  via MLO.
- **Growing user base**: As WiFi 7 adoption grows, more users will
  encounter this issue.

### 6. Stability Indicators

- **Author**: Po-Hao Huang (phhuang@realtek.com) — Realtek engineer with
  deep knowledge of the driver
- **Signed-off-by**: Ping-Ke Shih (pkshih@realtek.com) — the rtw89
  maintainer
- **Link**: Proper patch submission via mailing list

### 7. Dependency Check

The change uses:
- `rtwvif_link_to_vif()` — likely a helper that exists in the driver
- `ieee80211_vif_is_mld()` — a mac80211 API function
- `vif->addr` — standard VIF field

The key question is whether MLO support (and `ieee80211_vif_is_mld()`)
exists in stable trees. MLO/WiFi 7 support is relatively recent (merged
in 6.5+ timeframe). This fix would only be relevant for stable trees
that already have MLO support in rtw89.

### 8. Stable Kernel Criteria Assessment

- **Obviously correct**: Yes — using MLD address for MLO scans is the
  correct behavior per 802.11be spec
- **Fixes a real bug**: Yes — scanning is completely broken under MLO
- **Small and contained**: Yes — 4 lines in 1 file
- **No new features**: Correct — this fixes existing MLO scanning
  functionality
- **Tested**: Yes — from Realtek engineers, went through mainline

### Conclusion

This is a small, surgical, well-understood bug fix that addresses a
complete functional failure (broken WiFi scanning under MLO
connections). It affects only MLO paths, has zero risk to non-MLO users,
and is authored by the hardware vendor's driver team. It meets all
stable kernel criteria for backporting (to kernels that have MLO support
in rtw89).

**YES**

 drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtw89/fw.c | 3 +++
 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+)

diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtw89/fw.c b/drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtw89/fw.c
index 7b9d9989e5170..2f68a04cc028f 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtw89/fw.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtw89/fw.c
@@ -8114,6 +8114,7 @@ int rtw89_hw_scan_start(struct rtw89_dev *rtwdev,
 	struct cfg80211_scan_request *req = &scan_req->req;
 	const struct rtw89_chan *chan = rtw89_chan_get(rtwdev,
 						       rtwvif_link->chanctx_idx);
+	struct ieee80211_vif *vif = rtwvif_link_to_vif(rtwvif_link);
 	struct rtw89_vif *rtwvif = rtwvif_link->rtwvif;
 	struct rtw89_chanctx_pause_parm pause_parm = {
 		.rsn = RTW89_CHANCTX_PAUSE_REASON_HW_SCAN,
@@ -8142,6 +8143,8 @@ int rtw89_hw_scan_start(struct rtw89_dev *rtwdev,
 	if (req->flags & NL80211_SCAN_FLAG_RANDOM_ADDR)
 		get_random_mask_addr(mac_addr, req->mac_addr,
 				     req->mac_addr_mask);
+	else if (ieee80211_vif_is_mld(vif))
+		ether_addr_copy(mac_addr, vif->addr);
 	else
 		ether_addr_copy(mac_addr, rtwvif_link->mac_addr);
 
-- 
2.51.0


  parent reply	other threads:[~2026-02-14 21:26 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 33+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
2026-02-14 21:22 [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19-6.12] wifi: rtw89: ser: enable error IMR after recovering from L1 Sasha Levin
2026-02-14 21:22 ` [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19-6.12] wifi: ath11k: Fix failure to connect to a 6 GHz AP Sasha Levin
2026-02-14 21:22 ` [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19-6.1] wifi: rtw88: 8822b: Avoid WARNING in rtw8822b_config_trx_mode() Sasha Levin
2026-02-14 21:22 ` [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19-6.12] wifi: rtw89: 8922a: add digital compensation for 2GHz Sasha Levin
2026-02-14 21:22 ` [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19-6.18] wifi: rtw89: pci: validate sequence number of TX release report Sasha Levin
2026-02-14 21:22 ` [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19-5.10] wifi: iwlegacy: add missing mutex protection in il4965_store_tx_power() Sasha Levin
2026-02-14 21:22 ` [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19-6.6] wifi: rtw88: rtw8821cu: Add ID for Mercusys MU6H Sasha Levin
2026-02-14 21:22 ` [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19-6.18] wifi: rtw89: Add support for MSI AX1800 Nano (GUAX18N) Sasha Levin
2026-02-14 21:22 ` [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19-6.18] wifi: rtw89: mcc: reset probe counter when receiving beacon Sasha Levin
2026-02-14 21:22 ` [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19-6.18] wifi: rtw89: setting TBTT AGG number when mac port initialization Sasha Levin
2026-02-14 21:22 ` [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19-6.18] wifi: rtw89: disable EHT protocol by chip capabilities Sasha Levin
2026-02-14 21:22 ` [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19-5.10] wifi: ath10k: fix lock protection in ath10k_wmi_event_peer_sta_ps_state_chg() Sasha Levin
2026-02-14 21:22 ` [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19-6.12] wifi: cfg80211: allow only one NAN interface, also in multi radio Sasha Levin
2026-02-14 21:22 ` [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19-6.6] wifi: ath12k: fix preferred hardware mode calculation Sasha Levin
2026-02-14 21:22 ` [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19-6.1] wifi: rtw88: fix DTIM period handling when conf->dtim_period is zero Sasha Levin
2026-02-14 21:22 ` [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19-6.12] wifi: rtw89: mac: correct page number for CSI response Sasha Levin
2026-02-14 21:23 ` [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19-6.12] wifi: rtw88: Fix inadvertent sharing of struct ieee80211_supported_band data Sasha Levin
2026-02-14 21:23 ` [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19] wifi: rtw89: 8852au: add support for TP TX30U Plus Sasha Levin
2026-02-14 21:23 ` [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19-6.6] wifi: ath11k: add pm quirk for Thinkpad Z13/Z16 Gen1 Sasha Levin
2026-02-14 21:23 ` [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19] wifi: rtw89: Add default ID 28de:2432 for RTL8832CU Sasha Levin
2026-02-14 21:23 ` [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19-6.18] wifi: ath12k: fix mac phy capability parsing Sasha Levin
2026-02-14 21:23 ` [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19-6.1] wifi: rtw89: pci: restore LDO setting after device resume Sasha Levin
2026-02-14 21:23 ` [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19-5.10] wifi: iwlegacy: add missing mutex protection in il3945_store_measurement() Sasha Levin
2026-02-14 21:23 ` [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19] wifi: rtw89: Add support for D-Link VR Air Bridge (DWA-F18) Sasha Levin
2026-02-14 21:23 ` [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19-6.6] wifi: rtw89: wow: add reason codes for disassociation in WoWLAN mode Sasha Levin
2026-02-14 21:23 ` Sasha Levin [this message]
2026-02-14 21:23 ` [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19-6.18] wifi: rtw89: regd: 6 GHz power type marks default when inactive Sasha Levin
2026-02-14 21:23 ` [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19] wifi: cfg80211: treat deprecated INDOOR_SP_AP_OLD control value as LPI mode Sasha Levin
2026-02-14 21:23 ` [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19-6.12] wifi: rtw88: Use devm_kmemdup() in rtw_set_supported_band() Sasha Levin
2026-02-14 21:23 ` [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19-5.10] wifi: libertas: fix WARNING in usb_tx_block Sasha Levin
2026-02-14 21:23 ` [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19-6.18] wifi: rtw89: pci: validate release report content before using for RTL8922DE Sasha Levin
2026-02-14 21:23 ` [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19-6.12] wifi: rtw89: 8922a: set random mac if efuse contains zeroes Sasha Levin
2026-02-14 21:23 ` [PATCH AUTOSEL 6.19-6.18] wifi: rtw89: fix potential zero beacon interval in beacon tracking Sasha Levin

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