Hi all,
I've managed to track down where the problem comes from.
CONTEXT
- I use one of my neighbors' access point/portal to access internet
(based on FON principle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fon_(company)).
- Since the access point is not that close from my apartment, I baught and use
an external Wifi adapter with a (supposed to be) 5DBi antenna. This is the
exact following "ALFA" model:
https://www.dx.com/p/alfa-awus036nh-network-ralink-3070l-wifi-network-card-2000mw-alfa-wireless-wifi-usb-adapter-with-5dbi-antenna-white-2053330.html
- In order to be able to put this device outside my window, I plug it to my
computer via a 2m USB armored cable, similar to this one (with the
characteristic little bump / fuse?)
https://mpshop.tn/3035-thickbox_default/rallonge-usb-male-femelle.jpg
I tried with several cables (non-armored ones or longer cables, armored or
not). All lead to kernel not recognizing the device or intermittent
disconnection from the AP or disappearing of the device after a few minutes.
The chipset is apparently detected as a RaLink and the kernel tells me it uses
the 'rt2870.bin' firmware:
[27393.587771] usb 1-1: new high-speed USB device number 6 using xhci_hcd
[27393.753513] usb 1-1: New USB device found, idVendor=148f, idProduct=3070,
bcdDevice= 1.01
[27393.753519] usb 1-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[27393.753523] usb 1-1: Product: 802.11 n WLAN
[27393.753526] usb 1-1: Manufacturer: Ralink
[27393.753528] usb 1-1: SerialNumber: 1.0
[27393.883944] usb 1-1: reset high-speed USB device number 6 using xhci_hcd
[27394.044554] ieee80211 phy2: rt2x00_set_rt: Info - RT chipset 3070, rev 0201
detected
[27394.055744] ieee80211 phy2: rt2x00_set_rf: Info - RF chipset 0005 detected
[27394.056214] ieee80211 phy2: Selected rate control algorithm 'minstrel_ht'
[27394.098722] rt2800usb 1-1:1.0 wlx000f0032e9c8: renamed from wlan0
[27394.150888] ieee80211 phy2: rt2x00lib_request_firmware: Info - Loading
firmware file 'rt2870.bin'
[27394.150937] ieee80211 phy2: rt2x00lib_request_firmware: Info - Firmware
detected - version: 0.36
[27395.779361] wlx000f0032e9c8: authenticate with e4:9e:12:cf:e8:09
[27395.790695] wlx000f0032e9c8: send auth to e4:9e:12:cf:e8:09 (try 1/3)
[27395.792593] wlx000f0032e9c8: authenticated
[27395.798527] wlx000f0032e9c8: associate with e4:9e:12:cf:e8:09 (try 1/3)
[27395.801965] wlx000f0032e9c8: RX AssocResp from e4:9e:12:cf:e8:09
(capab=0x401 status=0 aid=1)
[27395.804884] wlx000f0032e9c8: associated
[27395.805216] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): wlx000f0032e9c8: link becomes
ready
Under Linux (XUbuntu 19.04), everything works fine (detection of
networks/connection to networks/upload&download), apart the fact that
the computer totally freezes/crashes in less than 2 hours as soon as the
ALFA device is plugin. When I use the computer without the ALFA device
plugged, everything works fine (tested reaching a 12 days uptime!)
Under windows (10 1903) everything works fine whatever the conditions
(there's no crashes, even with the ALFA device plugged, tested reaching
24hrs uptime - sorry, I'm not able to use Windows more than that ;)...).
So my (informed) guess is that there's a bug either in Linux's RaLink
module or 'rt2870.bin' firmware.
How can I provide more details, so that the bug is corrected ?
PS: I don't see how this is not a security issue: a computer that freezes
brutally and in a non recoverable manner (CTRL-ALT-DEL & SysReq are useless)
1) reflects a very big problem in some module/firmware code, that probably can
be related to a buffer overflow of some kind which could be exploited
locally/remotely to take control of the machine
2) has a very strong probability to lead to data corruption (as it is clear
that apps/fs/disks are not shutdown correctly)
3) even if it is not the case, being potentially able to voluntarily (locally
or remotely) execute the part of the code that crashes the machine, i.e.
perform a Denial of Service, is very serious problem...
PS2: I'm aware that I use potentially chinese non-guenuine
devices/chipsets/cables and that can be the source of many problems.
However, the Linux kernel should, at worse, refuse to recognize/use the
device, but crashing after woking correctly a few hours is not an
acceptable option.
--
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
Bugs, which is subscribed to Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1833474
Title:
Radom & frequent total crashes since upgrade to 19.04
To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1833474/+subscriptions
--
ubuntu-bugs mailing list
ubuntu-bugs@lists.ubuntu.com
https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs
