FP3: no WLAN/WiFi connection to APs enforcing mgmt frame protection, stock ROM works fine
- /e/OS version: IMG-e-3.0.4-t-20250709507786-official-FP3.zip
- Device model(s): FP3
- Impacted Application: WLAN/WiFi
The problem
FP3 with /e/OS-3.0.4 (Android-13) doesn't connect to WLAN APs enforcing mgmt frame protection (IEEE_802.11w-2009).
logcat
wpa_supplicant: wlan0: 2: 00:00:00:00:00:00 ssid='go-e-000000' wpa_ie_len=0 rsn_ie_len=26 caps=0x431 level=-43 freq=2412
wpa_supplicant: wlan0: skip RSN IE - no mgmt frame protection enabled but AP requires it
wpa_supplicant: wlan0: reject due to mismatch with WPA/WPA2
My AP is a go-e Charger Gemini flex 11 kW for electric cars. It offers a WLAN to connect a phone, to then use the go-e Android app for controlling the charger device. Since go-e firmware version >= 59.1 it seems to enforce mgmt frame protection without an option to disable the enforcement.
side node: fortunately I could downgrade the go-e firmware to < 59.1, but that's not a permanent solution, as well as connecting the go-e to another WLAN AP as a client
Another affected user seems to have opened this issue in 2020, but it expired due to inactivity:
#1246 (closed) No wifi connection with active IEEE 802.11w-2009
Android-13 Fairphone 3 stock ROM (update 2025-06-01) works fine.
Thoughts
I wouldn't wonder if more WLAN APs start enforcing this in the future for WPA2. Although it may get solved when WPA3 gets used instead.
My guess is, that this is because of some build option for the Linux kernel (generic networking or WLAN driver module) or a build option for wpa_supplicant. Can someone maybe point out the FP3 build configuration for these? I guess it's not just this file for the kernel!?
If may be abbreviated as MFP.
I've checked if 802.11w hardware is recognized. (it must exist, because stock ROM supports 802.11w).
/sys/kernel/debug/ieee80211/phy*/hwflags
doesn't exist. But iw phy phy0 info | grep 00-0f-ac:6
is positive, outputting * CMAC (00-0f-ac:6)
.