[bug] WiFi network with OWE (Opportunistic Wireless Encryption) not visible in network list

[tmshlvck]

WiFi network with OWE (Opportunistic Wireless Encryption) not visible in network list

Summary

WiFi networks using OWE (Opportunistic Wireless Encryption) in transition mode are not visible in the COSMIC network applet and cosmic-settings WiFi list, even though they can be successfully connected to using nmcli or nmtui.

Environment

• Desktop Environment: COSMIC Desktop
• Affected Components:
  • cosmic-applets 0.1.0176132265724.04~1d565fc (network applet)
  • cosmic-settings 0.1.0176133787424.04~3c3aa72 (Network & Wireless > Wi-Fi page)
• WiFi Adapter: Realtek RTL8852AE 802.11ax (rtw89_8852ae driver)
• NetworkManager Version: 1.46.0
• OS: Ubuntu 24.04 (Pop!_OS COSMIC)

Description

While traveling (on an Italian high-speed train), I encountered a WiFi network that was not visible in neither the COSMIC network applet nor the cosmic-settings WiFi configuration page. However, I was able to successfully connect to the network using nmtui and nmcli command-line tools.

Upon investigation, I discovered that the network uses OWE (Opportunistic Wireless Encryption) in transition mode, which lack of spport is the probable source of the visibility issue.

Technical Details

The network presents two SSIDs:

• Visible SSID (Open): WiFi Frecciarossa - This is what users see
• Hidden SSID (OWE): _owetm_WiFi Frecciaross_78d01735 - This is the actual encrypted network

The _owetm_ prefix is a standard identifier for OWE transition mode networks. In this mode:

1. An open network broadcasts a visible SSID for backward compatibility
2. A hidden OWE-encrypted network (with the _owetm_ prefix) provides the actual secure connection
3. Modern WiFi clients should detect the OWE transition and automatically connect to the secure hidden network

What Works

• ✅ Connecting via nmcli
• ✅ Connecting via nmtui
• ✅ Connection stability once connected
• ✅ NetworkManager properly handles the OWE connection

What Doesn't Work

• ❌ Network not visible in COSMIC network applet dropdown
• ❌ Network not visible in cosmic-settings Wi-Fi page
• ❌ Cannot connect through COSMIC GUI interfaces

Steps to Reproduce

1. Be in range of a WiFi network using OWE transition mode
2. Open the COSMIC network applet or cosmic-settings Network & Wireless page
3. Observe that the network is not listed among available networks
4. Verify the network exists by running nmcli device wifi list - it should appear there
5. Connect successfully via nmcli device wifi connect "WiFi Frecciarossa" (or the visible SSID name)
6. Run iw dev <interface> link to see the actual SSID includes the _owetm_ prefix

Expected Behavior

• The WiFi network should be visible in the COSMIC network list
• Users should be able to connect to OWE transition mode networks through the GUI
• The COSMIC UI should properly display OWE networks (potentially with a security indicator)

Actual Behavior

• The network is completely absent from the COSMIC network applet and settings
• No indication that an OWE network is available
• Users must use command-line tools to connect

Network Information Captured

Connection status via nmcli:

wlp3s0: connected to WiFi Frecciarossa.
        "Realtek RTL8852AE 802.11ax"
        wifi (rtw89_8852ae), E0:0A:F6:58:9A:5F, hw, mtu 1350
        ip4 default
        inet4 192.168.110.20/20

Actual connection details via iw dev wlp3s0 link:

Connected to 80:8d:b7:55:57:31 (on wlp3s0)
        SSID: _owetm_WiFi Frecciaross_78d01735
        freq: 5180.0
        signal: -49 dBm
        rx bitrate: 300.0 MBit/s MCS 15 40MHz short GI
        tx bitrate: 300.0 MBit/s MCS 15 40MHz short GI

Root Cause Analysis

The issue appears to be that the COSMIC network UI components do not properly handle:

1. OWE transition mode networks - Networks that use the _owetm_ SSID prefix
2. Hidden SSIDs with special prefixes - The actual connection SSID differs from the broadcast SSID
3. NetworkManager OWE metadata - NetworkManager likely provides OWE information that isn't being parsed/displayed

Additional Context

• OWE (RFC 8110) is becoming increasingly common on public WiFi networks in Europe
• This affects user experience significantly as users cannot connect to these networks without CLI tools
• The underlying NetworkManager handles OWE correctly; this is purely a UI/display issue
• Similar issues may exist with other advanced WiFi security modes

References

• OWE Specification: RFC 8110 - Opportunistic Wireless Encryption
• WiFi Alliance OWE: https://www.wi-fi.org/discover-wi-fi/wi-fi-certified-owe