[PATCH net-next v4 4/5] ipv6: mld: encode multicast exponential fields

Ujjal Roy
2026-04-12T11:11:28Z

In MLD, MRC and QQIC fields are not correctly encoded when
generating query packets. Since the receiver of the query
interprets these fields using the MLDv2 floating-point
decoding logic, any value that exceeds the linear threshold
is incorrectly parsed as an exponential value, leading to
an incorrect interval calculation.

Encode and assign the corresponding protocol fields during
query generation. Introduce the logic to dynamically
calculate the exponent and mantissa using bit-scan (fls).
This ensures MRC (16-bit) and QQIC (8-bit) fields are
properly encoded when transmitting query packets with
intervals that exceed their respective linear thresholds
(32768 for MRD; 128 for QQI).

RFC3810: If Maximum Response Code >= 32768, the Maximum
Response Code field represents a floating-point value as
follows:
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|1| exp | mant |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

RFC3810: If QQIC >= 128, the QQIC field represents a
floating-point value as follows:
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|1| exp | mant |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Reviewed-by: Ido Schimmel <idosch@nvidia.com>
Signed-off-by: Ujjal Roy <royujjal@gmail.com>
---
include/net/mld.h | 119 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
net/bridge/br_multicast.c | 4 +-
2 files changed, 121 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/include/net/mld.h b/include/net/mld.h
index 6ed467e23f12..5f79ea2257d5 100644
--- a/include/net/mld.h
+++ b/include/net/mld.h
@@ -90,12 +90,131 @@ struct mld2_query {
#define MLDV2_QQIC_MAN(value) ((value) & 0x0f)

#define MLD_QQIC_MIN_THRESHOLD 128
+/* Max representable (mant = 0xF, exp = 7) -> 31744 */
+#define MLD_QQIC_MAX_THRESHOLD 31744
#define MLD_MRC_MIN_THRESHOLD 32768UL
+/* Max representable (mant = 0xFFF, exp = 7) -> 8387584 */
+#define MLD_MRC_MAX_THRESHOLD 8387584
#define MLDV1_MRD_MAX_COMPAT (MLD_MRC_MIN_THRESHOLD - 1)

#define MLD_MAX_QUEUE 8
#define MLD_MAX_SKBS 32

+/* V2 exponential field encoding */
+
+/*
+ * Calculate Maximum Response Code from Maximum Response Delay
+ *
+ * MRC represents the 16-bit encoded form of Maximum Response Delay (MRD);
+ * once decoded, the resulting value is in milliseconds.
+ *
+ * RFC3810, 5.1.3. defines only the decoding formula:
+ * Maximum Response Delay = (mant | 0x1000) << (exp + 3)
+ *
+ * but does NOT define the encoding procedure. To derive exponent:
+ *
+ * For the 16-bit MRC, the "hidden bit" (0x1000) is left shifted by 12 to
+ * sit above the 12-bit mantissa. The RFC then shifts this entire block
+ * left by (exp + 3) to reconstruct the value. So, 'hidden bit' is the
+ * MSB which is shifted by (12 + exp + 3).
+ *
+ * Total left shift of the hidden bit = 12 + (exp + 3) = exp + 15.
+ * This is the MSB at the 0-based bit position: (exp + 15).
+ * Since fls() is 1-based, fls(value) - 1 = exp + 15.
+ *
+ * Therefore:
+ * exp = fls(value) - 16
+ * mant = (value >> (exp + 3)) & 0x0FFF
+ *
+ * Final encoding formula:
+ * 0x8000 | (exp << 12) | mant
+ *
+ * Example (value = 1311744):
+ * 0 1 2 3
+ * 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
+ * +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
+ * |0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0| 1311744
+ * | ^-^--------mant---------^ ^...(exp+3)...^| exp=5
+ * +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
+ *
+ * Encoded:
+ * 0x8000 | (5 << 12) | 0x404 = 0xD404
+ */
+static inline u16 mldv2_mrc(unsigned long mrd)
+{
+ u16 mc_man, mc_exp;
+
+ /* MRC < 32768 is literal */
+ if (mrd < MLD_MRC_MIN_THRESHOLD)
+ return mrd;
+
+ /* Saturate at max representable (mant = 0xFFF, exp = 7) -> 8387584 */
+ if (mrd >= MLD_MRC_MAX_THRESHOLD)
+ return 0xFFFF;
+
+ mc_exp = fls(mrd) - 16;
+ mc_man = (mrd >> (mc_exp + 3)) & 0x0FFF;
+
+ return 0x8000 | (mc_exp << 12) | mc_man;
+}
+
+/*
+ * Calculate Querier's Query Interval Code from Querier's Query Interval
+ *
+ * QQIC represents the 8-bit encoded form of Querier's Query Interval (QQI);
+ * once decoded, the resulting value is in seconds.
+ *
+ * RFC3810, 5.1.9. defines only the decoding formula:
+ * QQI = (mant | 0x10) << (exp + 3)
+ *
+ * but does NOT define the encoding procedure. To derive exponent:
+ *
+ * For any value of mantissa and exponent, the decoding formula indicates
+ * that the "hidden bit" (0x10) is shifted 4 bits left to sit above the
+ * 4-bit mantissa. The RFC again shifts this entire block left by (exp + 3)
+ * to reconstruct the value. So, 'hidden bit' is the MSB which is shifted
+ * by (4 + exp + 3).
+ *
+ * Total left shift of the 'hidden bit' = 4 + (exp + 3) = exp + 7.
+ * This is the MSB at the 0-based bit position: (exp + 7).
+ * Since fls() is 1-based, fls(value) - 1 = exp + 7.
+ *
+ * Therefore:
+ * exp = fls(value) - 8
+ * mant = (value >> (exp + 3)) & 0x0F
+ *
+ * Final encoding formula:
+ * 0x80 | (exp << 4) | mant
+ *
+ * Example (value = 3200):
+ * 0 1
+ * 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
+ * +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
+ * |0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0| (value = 3200)
+ * | ^-^-mant^ ^..(exp+3)..^| exp = 4, mant = 9
+ * +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
+ *
+ * Encoded:
+ * 0x80 | (4 << 4) | 9 = 0xC9
+ */
+static inline u8 mldv2_qqic(unsigned long value)
+{
+ u8 mc_man, mc_exp;
+
+ /* QQIC < 128 is literal */
+ if (value < MLD_QQIC_MIN_THRESHOLD)
+ return value;
+
+ /* Saturate at max representable (mant = 0xF, exp = 7) -> 31744 */
+ if (value >= MLD_QQIC_MAX_THRESHOLD)
+ return 0xFF;
+
+ mc_exp = fls(value) - 8;
+ mc_man = (value >> (mc_exp + 3)) & 0x0F;
+
+ return 0x80 | (mc_exp << 4) | mc_man;
+}
+
/* V2 exponential field decoding */

/* Calculate Maximum Response Delay from Maximum Response Code
diff --git a/net/bridge/br_multicast.c b/net/bridge/br_multicast.c
index 27010744d7ae..49ceea3ff974 100644
--- a/net/bridge/br_multicast.c
+++ b/net/bridge/br_multicast.c
@@ -1181,7 +1181,7 @@ static struct sk_buff *br_ip6_multicast_alloc_query(struct net_bridge_mcast *brm
break;
case 2:
mld2q = (struct mld2_query *)icmp6_hdr(skb);
- mld2q->mld2q_mrc = htons((u16)jiffies_to_msecs(interval));
+ mld2q->mld2q_mrc = htons(mldv2_mrc(jiffies_to_msecs(interval)));
mld2q->mld2q_type = ICMPV6_MGM_QUERY;
mld2q->mld2q_code = 0;
mld2q->mld2q_cksum = 0;
@@ -1190,7 +1190,7 @@ static struct sk_buff *br_ip6_multicast_alloc_query(struct net_bridge_mcast *brm
mld2q->mld2q_suppress = sflag;
mld2q->mld2q_qrv = 2;
mld2q->mld2q_nsrcs = htons(llqt_srcs);
- mld2q->mld2q_qqic = brmctx->multicast_query_interval / HZ;
+ mld2q->mld2q_qqic = mldv2_qqic(brmctx->multicast_query_interval / HZ);
mld2q->mld2q_mca = *group;
csum = &mld2q->mld2q_cksum;
csum_start = (void *)mld2q;
--
2.43.0