linux-kernel - [PATCH] wifi: cfg80211: use kfree_sensitive() for connkeys cleanup

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Message-Id: <20250523110156.4017111-1-zilin@seu.edu.cn>
Date: Fri, 23 May 2025 11:01:56 +0000
From: Zilin Guan <zilin@....edu.cn>
To: johannes@...solutions.net
Cc: linux-wireless@...r.kernel.org,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	jianhao.xu@....edu.cn,
	Zilin Guan <zilin@....edu.cn>
Subject: [PATCH] wifi: cfg80211: use kfree_sensitive() for connkeys cleanup

The nl80211_parse_connkeys() function currently uses kfree() to release
the 'result' structure in error handling paths. However, if an error
occurs due to result->def being less than 0, the 'result' structure may
contain sensitive information.

To prevent potential leakage of sensitive data, replace kfree() with
kfree_sensitive() when freeing 'result'. This change aligns with the
approach used in its caller, nl80211_join_ibss(), enhancing the overall
security of the wireless subsystem.

Signed-off-by: Zilin Guan <zilin@....edu.cn>
---
 net/wireless/nl80211.c | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/net/wireless/nl80211.c b/net/wireless/nl80211.c
index f039a7d0d..aaaafde96 100644
--- a/net/wireless/nl80211.c
+++ b/net/wireless/nl80211.c
@@ -1580,7 +1580,7 @@ nl80211_parse_connkeys(struct cfg80211_registered_device *rdev,

 	return result;
  error:
-	kfree(result);
+	kfree_sensitive(result);
 	return ERR_PTR(err);
 }

-- 
2.34.1