linux-kernel - Re: 2.6.18-mm1 -- ieee80211: Info elem: parse failed: info_element->len + 2 > left : info

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Message-ID: <451AE356.5050306@linux.intel.com>
Date:	Wed, 27 Sep 2006 13:47:18 -0700
From:	James Ketrenos <jketreno@...ux.intel.com>
To:	Miles Lane <miles.lane@...il.com>
CC:	Andrew Morton <akpm@...l.org>, LKML <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
	Jouni Malinen <jkmaline@...hut.fi>
Subject: Re: 2.6.18-mm1 -- ieee80211: Info elem: parse failed: info_element->len
 + 2 > left : info_element->len+2=28 left=9, id=221.

Miles Lane wrote:
> It occurs to me that these messages occured while I was connected to a
> public WIFI AP at the airport in Phoenix.  It may be that the network
> configuration or my distance from the AP had a part to play in the
> messages being triggered.  If so, I may have trouble reproducing the
> problem.  I'll be interested to hear from some of the IEEE80211
> developers on what these messages indicate.
> ieee80211: Info elem: parse failed: info_element->len + 2 > left :
> info_element->len+2=28 left=9, id=221.
> ieee80211: Info elem: parse failed: info_element->len + 2 > left :
> info_element->len+2=28 left=9, id=221.
> ieee80211: Info elem: parse failed: info_element->len + 2 > left :
> info_element->len+2=28 left=9, id=221.

Without the actual full data frame it is difficult to determine the root
cause (faulty AP, wireless attack, or bug in ieee80211_rx.c).  If you
happen to find yourself in a situation where this occurs repeatedly, try
performing a packet capture w/ ethereal or similar to grab the packet.  
If ethereal can parse the frame correctly but you still see the message
from ieee80211, chances are its a bug in ieee80211_parse_info_param.

If you don't have ethereal, you can use the attached untested (beyond
build) patch against ieee80211_rx.c to dump the frame to the kernel log
(borrows the printk_buf function from ipw2200.c).   From that raw frame
dump we should be able to figure out if its a bug
ieee80211_parse_info_param or a bogus over the air packet.

James

View attachment "ieee80211-frame-dump.patch" of type "text/x-patch" (2757 bytes)