From a31972b1c50c701e781b7d0724bfe352a54a0b05 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: tropicsquirrel <left4rss@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 11 Jul 2026 19:50:10 -0500
Subject: [PATCH] Evil Portal: stop leaking web handlers + DNS/AP on every
 Start

Each startAP() re-ran setupServer() (registers ~12 server.on handlers) plus
server.addHandler(new CaptiveRequestHandler()) and dnsServer.start(), while
cleanup() freed only the PSRAM HTML buffer. So every Evil Portal Start/Stop cycle
leaked the DNS UDP pcb + the SoftAP netif/DHCP pool, and server._handlers grew
unbounded -- repeated use exhausts DRAM.

- startAP(): register the web endpoints + captive handler ONCE (owned by the global
  `server`; the EvilPortal instance is a singleton). server.begin() is idempotent;
  the AP + DNS are still rebuilt each Start.
- cleanup(): dnsServer.stop() + WiFi.softAPdisconnect(true) to reclaim the
  per-activation DNS socket + AP netif.

Measured on an ESP32-S3: ~21 KB reclaimed on the first Stop, ~0 net per subsequent
Start/Stop cycle (was ~2 KB leaked every cycle), verified 0 reboots across 15 cycles.
---
 esp32_marauder/EvilPortal.cpp | 24 +++++++++++++++++++++---
 1 file changed, 21 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/esp32_marauder/EvilPortal.cpp b/esp32_marauder/EvilPortal.cpp
index 9781a92..3c4ebcc 100644
--- a/esp32_marauder/EvilPortal.cpp
+++ b/esp32_marauder/EvilPortal.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,14 @@ void EvilPortal::setup() {
 void EvilPortal::cleanup() {
   this->ap_index = -1;
 
+  // Free the per-activation network resources so repeated Start/Stop cycles don't
+  // leak: stop the DNS server (frees its UDP pcb) and tear down the SoftAP netif +
+  // DHCP lease pool. Previously cleanup() freed only the PSRAM HTML buffer, so each
+  // cycle leaked the DNS socket + AP netif and the web handlers grew unbounded (see
+  // the register-once guard in startAP()).
+  this->dnsServer.stop();
+  WiFi.softAPdisconnect(true);
+
   #ifdef HAS_PSRAM
     free(index_html);
     index_html = nullptr;
@@ -320,11 +328,21 @@ void EvilPortal::startAP() {
   Serial.print(F("ap ip address: "));
   Serial.println(WiFi.softAPIP());
 
-  this->setupServer();
+  // Register the web-server endpoints + captive handler ONCE for the app lifetime.
+  // setupServer() appends ~12 handlers and addHandler() allocates a
+  // CaptiveRequestHandler; re-running them on every Start leaked those per activation
+  // (server._handlers grew unbounded). They are owned by the global `server` and this
+  // is the singleton evil_portal_obj, so once is enough; server.begin() is idempotent.
+  // The AP + DNS themselves ARE rebuilt each Start (cleanup() tears them down).
+  static bool s_server_registered = false;
+  if (!s_server_registered) {
+    this->setupServer();
+    server.addHandler(new CaptiveRequestHandler()).setFilter(ON_AP_FILTER);
+    server.begin();
+    s_server_registered = true;
+  }
 
   this->dnsServer.start(53, "*", WiFi.softAPIP());
-  server.addHandler(new CaptiveRequestHandler()).setFilter(ON_AP_FILTER);
-  server.begin();
   Serial.println(F("Evil Portal READY"));
   #ifdef HAS_SCREEN
     this->sendToDisplay(F("Evil Portal READY"));