Intel NETw3v64.sys driver bugcheck on Vista x64 at (almost) the worst possible time . . .
So I'm in the presentation - getting ready to sleep my notebook when all of a sudden it bugchecks.
I have never actually had a bugcheck on my new notebook in all the months I've had it. In fact I think my last bugcheck was on my old Dell D600 many months ago . . . so I was rather surprised . . . the culprit I recognized as (probably) my wireless driver during the bugcheck but I confirmed that after I brought the machine back up and I dropped the dump file in WinDBG.
After the reboot I brought up WinDBG and got this stack:
0: kd> k
Child-SP RetAddr Call Site
fffff800`030dcf88 fffff800`020bb287 nt!KeBugCheckEx
fffff800`030dcf90 fffff800`0204e0ae nt!KiDispatchException+0x88b07
fffff800`030dd590 fffff800`0204cc8d nt!KiExceptionDispatch+0xae
fffff800`030dd770 fffff980`04bd27bb nt!KiGeneralProtectionFault+0xcd
*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for NETw3v64.sys
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for NETw3v64.sys
fffff800`030dd900 00000000`00000224 NETw3v64+0x3b7bb
fffff800`030dd908 fffff980`04bf718d 0x224
fffff800`030dd910 00000000`00000224 NETw3v64+0x6018d
fffff800`030dd918 fffffa80`0478e000 0x224
fffff800`030dd920 fffffa80`03dfef60 0xfffffa80`0478e000
fffff800`030dd928 fffffa80`02136f68 0xfffffa80`03dfef60
fffff800`030dd930 fffffa80`02cb4470 0xfffffa80`02136f68
fffff800`030dd938 fffff980`04bcfbc8 0xfffffa80`02cb4470
fffff800`030dd940 fffffa80`043960d4 NETw3v64+0x38bc8
fffff800`030dd948 fffffa80`04396018 0xfffffa80`043960d4
fffff800`030dd950 00000000`00000000 0xfffffa80`04396018
fffff800`030dd958 fffffa80`0478e000 0x0
fffff800`030dd960 00000020`04000000 0xfffffa80`0478e000
fffff800`030dd968 00000204`00000000 0x20`04000000
fffff800`030dd970 fffffa80`04396018 0x204`00000000
fffff800`030dd978 fffffa80`03ebee08 0xfffffa80`04396018
I'm using the inbox Vista drivers for this Intel Wireless chipset I've got in this thing (Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG) . . . probably not the smartest thing to do since I just confirmed that they have a newer version that they released on like 5/25/2007 (ver 11.1.1.11).
MENTAL NOTE: Always update all Internet facing drivers before attending *any* security conference. :)
I'm just *guessing* that someone is fuzzing the wireless network . . . call me crazy but I use the wifi fairly regularly and have never had a problem with it - and within 30 minutes of powering up in this session - my box bugchecks. :(
Hopefully the new driver will be more resilient . . . hopefully I can suck it down before it bugchecks again. :)
What really pisses me off about this is everyone here's using XP and I seem to be about the only guy running Vista and I'm sure the nice bright blue screen caused more than a few smiles / internal laughs from the folks around me who witnessed it. They'll probably think its Vista's fault . . . . sigh . . . it's okay Vista - I still love you.
And now that I think about it - I guess I should be thankful it didn't happen during my presentation on Thursday in front of a few hundred people on the podium . . . still - I think I'll physically switch off the wifi on my notebook during the presentation - just in case.
