airodump-ng: channel handling is broken

[FR. Loïc]

Binary package hint: aircrack-ng

Hello

airodump-ng doesn't work well with ath9k drivers.
No matter if you use one vif or more than one, with the command:

airodump-ng -c <channel number> <monitor interface>
sudo airodump-ng -w test -c 7 --bssid 00:11:22:33:44:55 mon0

you got something like:

 CH 7 ][ Elapsed: 12 s ][ 2010-07-07 11:33 ][ fixed channel mon0: -1
...

In the example airodump-ng was launched with -c 7 but airodump-ng says channel -1, and with aireplay-ng you got something like this:

sudo aireplay-ng --deauth 10 -a 00:11:22:33:44:55 -c 00:22:44:66:88:11 mon0
20:27:55 Waiting for beacon frame (BSSID: 00:11:22:33:44:55) on channel -1
20:27:55 mon0 is on channel -1, but the AP uses channel 7

It could be related with the new channel handling:
http://marc.info/?t=127306598700001&r=1&w=4

I tested in ubuntu 10.04 & 10.10 but I always have the same problem.
I use a atheros ar5bxb92 wpea-110n.
Linux 2.6.35 & aircrack-ng 1.1-1.

Thank you

[Joel Pickett (jpickett)]

Yeah I've had the same problem on Lucid and Maverick A1&2, using alfa awus036h - rt8187 chipset

Just reverted to using the 1.0 release for now.

[FR. Loïc (hackurx)]

Under backtrack 4 I have no problem with their version (aircrack-ng-1.1-r1738-bt0) :
http://sun.backtrack-linux.org/pool/microverse/a/aircrack-ng/

This depends of drivers too?

[Ruben_C (rubencastillo-a)]

Same problem here: awus036h - rtl8187 chipset on 2.6.35-11-generic

Is there any fix for this, or just go back to 1.0?

[Dario Aversa aka Jano (jano)]

Hi to all,
- This patch for me solve the problem:
(tested with rtl8187, ath5k, zd1211rw, iwl3945, rt73usb, rt2800usb)
https://patchwork.kernel.org/patch/103589/

Description: Ubuntu 10.04.1 LTS
Release: 10.04
Kernel: 2.6.32-24-generic

Bye Jano

[Guy (waterville123)]

As with ath9k and with RT8187 we have the same results: mon0 is on channel -1
Using Maverick beta 10.10 and kernel 2.6.35-22-generic
Tried the 'old' Aircrack-ng 1.0 but got the same bad results!

[Uwe Helm (1forthedoctor)]

Patch works for me as well (ath9k, aircrack-ng-1.1.1, kernel 2.6.35-7).
I've been running it for a while now without any problems.
Not sure what the implications for the kernel are or why it is not included in mainline, as it seems rather trivial

[Irrlicht (irrlicht)]

Patch seems to be down. I have this issue with Maverick (zd1211rw, aircrack-ng-1.1.1, kernel 2.6.35-22).
Hope someone could paste the patch here or will this be fixed any time soon?

[Vladimir Hidalgo (vlad88sv)]

Hi, is there any ease fix for this?, let say in a .deb or something?.

Thank you.

[Delyan Kalchev (delyank)]

I've got exactly the same issue using the already released Maverick (the kernel 2.6.35-22), upgraded from Lucid. My wireless adapter is one with the pompously sounding name Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 AGN.

If I boot with the latest kernel installed by Lucid (2.6.32-25 if I'm not wrong), also the wifi ba

[Delyan Kalchev (delyank)]

... also the wifi backports were installed, then it works just fine as it is expected.

In both cases the version of aircrack-ng is the same.

[needlez6 (needlez6)]

Refer to my fix for Bug #643788 as this will fix all issues with channel -1. Thank you. Needlez6.

[needlez6 (needlez6)]

ok, so im sorry to post this fix so late but i finally found a way to fix this.

wget http://wireless.kernel.org/download/compat-wireless-2.6/compat-wireless-2010-10-16.tar.bz2
tar -jxf compat-wireless-2010-10-16.tar.bz2
cd compat-wireless-2010-10-16
wget http://patches.aircrack-ng.org/mac80211.compat08082009.wl_frag+ack_v1.patch
patch -p1 < mac80211.compat08082009.wl_frag+ack_v1.patch
wget http://patches.aircrack-ng.org/channel-negative-one-maxim.patch
patch ./net/wireless/chan.c channel-negative-one-maxim.patch
gedit scripts/update-initramfs
#*** FIND LINE 13: KLIB=/lib/modules/2.6.31-wl/build
#*** REPLACE WITH: KLIB=/lib/modules/$(uname -r)/build
make
sudo make install
sudo make unload
sudo reboot

This will fix the issue with the negative channel and aircrack-ng. I confirmed this today, it was compat-wireless not just the kernel. Also not sure but I think WPA handshakes are messed up too. But I know this will work to break WEP. And this does work to fix. Thanks to squirrelscript and ubuntuforums and iwir3d.This is the patch for the negative one bug.

[Lucone (johnmyung83)]

Does not work woth iwlagn

[stanbeto (uzo)]

iwlagn work with compat-wireless-2010-12-26

[cyd (cyd)]

Using Ubuntu 10.10 with fresh install, ath9h (asus eee pc 1000He)

same problem, no updates fixes the problem yet

the distro is fully updated

[sargas (sargas)]

Cyd,

You are right, the bug isn't fixed.
needlez6 had changed the status of bug #643788, the bug this is marked a duplicated of, from "Fix Committed" to "In Progress." This bug should have the same status (since being a duplicate implies they are the same bug), but unfortunately I cannot change it.

As it is, there is a lot of discussion of a fix, but so far it is just a work-around. http://marc.info/?l=linux-wireless&m=127542355914348&w=4 is the only email I can find where a developer discusses merging a patch into the mainline work. As far as I can tell there hasn't been any discussion at the proper place to fix this since June.

In summary, unless there is something more correct in the thousands of messages in linux-wireless about this (a very real possibility), this bug isn't fix. The patch at http://patches.aircrack-ng.org/channel-negative-one-maxim.patch will work for most people, although my understanding is that it will break users who use multiple channels with one wireless card.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

FR. Loïc, this bug was reported a while ago and there hasn't been any activity in it recently. We were wondering if this is still an issue? If so, could you please test for this with the latest development release of Ubuntu? ISO CD images are available from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/ .

If it remains an issue, could you please run the following command in the development release from a Terminal (Applications->Accessories->Terminal), as it will automatically gather and attach updated debug information to this report:

apport-collect -p linux <replace-with-bug-number>

Also, could you please test the latest upstream kernel available? It will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue. Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Please do not test the kernel in the daily folder, but the one all the way at the bottom. Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please remove the 'needs-upstream-testing' tag. This can be done by clicking on the yellow pencil icon next to the tag located at the bottom of the bug description and deleting the 'needs-upstream-testing' text. As well, please comment on which kernel version specifically you tested.

If this bug is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tag 'kernel-fixed-upstream'.

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the tag: 'kernel-bug-exists-upstream'.

If you are unable to test the mainline kernel, for example it will not boot, please add the tag: 'kernel-unable-to-test-upstream', and comment as to why specifically you were unable to test it.

Please let us know your results. Thanks in advance.

Helpful Bug Reporting Links:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs#Bug_Reporting_Etiquette
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https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs#Adding_Apport_Debug_Information_to_an_Existing_Launchpad_Bug
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs#Adding_Additional_Attachments_to_an_Existing_Launchpad_Bug

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for linux (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]