"Local Variable 'diffuse_tex' Referenced Before Assignment" Error on Import

[WildKarrde1138]

Some vanilla models, such as 003ebol.mdl/mdx from TSL, fail to completely import and return the error "local variable 'diffuse_tex' referenced before assignment" when using KotorBlender 3.10.3 with Blender 4.0. I am still able to import the model using version 3.5.2 with Blender 2.93, so I'm guessing it's something that changed between those two versions. I have attached 003ebol.mdl/mdx for reference.
003ebol.zip

[DarthParametric]

To provide some additional context, it seems like it chokes when parsing the mesh engpanlight (which is the only mesh with the LEH_light01 diffuse). It is lightmapped and has self-illum, if that is relevant.

Loading image: G:\Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic\-=TOOLS=-\KOTOR Tool\working\TEXTURES\K1\LEH_light01.tga
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "D:\Blender\3.6.2 LTS\3.6\scripts\addons\io_scene_kotor\ops\lyt\importop.py", line 68, in execute
    lyt.load_lyt(self, self.filepath, options)
  File "D:\Blender\3.6.2 LTS\3.6\scripts\addons\io_scene_kotor\io\lyt.py", line 61, in load_lyt
    mdl.load_mdl(operator, mdl_path, options, room[1:])
  File "D:\Blender\3.6.2 LTS\3.6\scripts\addons\io_scene_kotor\io\mdl.py", line 80, in load_mdl
    model_root = model.add_to_collection(collection, options, position)
  File "D:\Blender\3.6.2 LTS\3.6\scripts\addons\io_scene_kotor\scene\model.py", line 70, in add_to_collection
    self.import_nodes_to_collection(child, root_obj, collection, options)
  File "D:\Blender\3.6.2 LTS\3.6\scripts\addons\io_scene_kotor\scene\model.py", line 105, in import_nodes_to_collection
    obj = node.add_to_collection(collection, options)
  File "D:\Blender\3.6.2 LTS\3.6\scripts\addons\io_scene_kotor\scene\modelnode\trimesh.py", line 158, in add_to_collection
    material.rebuild_object_materials(
  File "D:\Blender\3.6.2 LTS\3.6\scripts\addons\io_scene_kotor\scene\material.py", line 79, in rebuild_object_materials
    rebuild_material_textured(
  File "D:\Blender\3.6.2 LTS\3.6\scripts\addons\io_scene_kotor\scene\material.py", line 228, in rebuild_material_textured
    links.new(mul_diffuse_lightmap.inputs[0], diffuse_tex.outputs[0])
UnboundLocalError: local variable 'diffuse_tex' referenced before assignment

Alternatively, the node after that one is the walkmesh, then the following one is Box19, which has a lightmap but no diffuse.

Edit: Yes, it's meshes with lightmaps but no diffuse that it is choking on. Occurs with both 003EBOl and 003EBOq (meshes Box19 and Box18, respectively). Editing those in KMax to assign a diffuse and then recompiling, KBlender will load the layout without error.