* [PATCH net v5] ipv6: flowlabel: enforce per-netns limit for unprivileged callers
@ 2026-05-02 5:00 Maoyi Xie
2026-05-02 13:33 ` Willem de Bruijn
0 siblings, 1 reply; 2+ messages in thread
From: Maoyi Xie @ 2026-05-02 5:00 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: netdev
Cc: willemdebruijn.kernel, willemb, edumazet, pabeni, kuba, davem,
dsahern, kuznet, linux-kernel, stable
fl_size, fl_ht and ip6_fl_lock in net/ipv6/ip6_flowlabel.c are file
scope and shared across netns. mem_check() reads fl_size to decide
whether to deny non-CAP_NET_ADMIN callers; capable() runs against
init_user_ns, so an unprivileged user in any non-init userns can
push fl_size past FL_MAX_SIZE - FL_MAX_SIZE/4 and starve every
other unprivileged userns on the host.
Add struct netns_ipv6::flowlabel_count, bumped and decremented next
to fl_size in fl_intern, ip6_fl_gc and ip6_fl_purge. The new field
is placed in the existing 4-byte hole after ipmr_seq, so struct
netns_ipv6 stays the same size on 64-bit builds.
Bump FL_MAX_SIZE from 4096 to 8192. It has been 4096 since the file
was added; machines and connection counts have grown.
mem_check() folds an extra per-netns ceiling into the existing
non-CAP_NET_ADMIN conditional. The ceiling is half of the total
budget that unprivileged callers have ever been able to use, i.e.
(FL_MAX_SIZE - FL_MAX_SIZE/4) / 2 = 3072 entries. With FL_MAX_SIZE
doubled, this preserves the original per-user reach (~3K, what an
unprivileged caller could already obtain before this change) while
forcing an attacker to spread allocations across at least two
netns to exhaust the global non-CAP_NET_ADMIN budget.
CAP_NET_ADMIN against init_user_ns still bypasses both caps.
Fixes: 1da177e4c3f4 ("Linux-2.6.12-rc2")
Suggested-by: Willem de Bruijn <willemb@google.com>
Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org # v5.15+
Signed-off-by: Maoyi Xie <maoyi.xie@ntu.edu.sg>
---
v5 (this submission, addressing v4 review by Willem):
- Replaced the per-netns ceiling FL_MAX_SIZE/8 with the
computed unpriv_user_limit = (FL_MAX_SIZE - FL_MAX_SIZE/4)/2,
which evaluates to 3072. v4's FL_MAX_SIZE/8 = 1024 would have
reduced the per-user budget below the ~3K an unprivileged
caller could already obtain before any of this work, defeating
the reason FL_MAX_SIZE was doubled in the first place. The new
ceiling preserves the original per-user reach while still
requiring an attacker to spread across at least two netns to
drain the global non-CAP_NET_ADMIN budget.
- Reworded the corresponding paragraph in the commit body.
v4: addressed Willem's v3 review on netdev. Dropped the
flowlabel_has_excl cacheline argument in favour of "fills the
existing 4-byte hole after ipmr_seq", and reordered
atomic_dec(&...flowlabel_count) to sit immediately after
atomic_dec(&fl_size) in ip6_fl_gc and ip6_fl_purge.
v3: addressed Willem's review on the private security@ thread.
Merged FL_MAX_SIZE doubling, dropped test data, moved
flowlabel_count near ipmr_seq, inlined fl->fl_net in ip6_fl_gc.
v2: per-netns counter + cap, sent to security@ as a 2-patch series.
v1: fix-shape sketch in original disclosure.
include/net/netns/ipv6.h | 1 +
net/ipv6/ip6_flowlabel.c | 16 ++++++++++++----
2 files changed, 13 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)
diff --git a/include/net/netns/ipv6.h b/include/net/netns/ipv6.h
index 34bdb1308..329482373 100644
--- a/include/net/netns/ipv6.h
+++ b/include/net/netns/ipv6.h
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ struct netns_ipv6 {
struct fib_notifier_ops *notifier_ops;
struct fib_notifier_ops *ip6mr_notifier_ops;
unsigned int ipmr_seq; /* protected by rtnl_mutex */
+ atomic_t flowlabel_count;
struct {
struct hlist_head head;
spinlock_t lock;
diff --git a/net/ipv6/ip6_flowlabel.c b/net/ipv6/ip6_flowlabel.c
index c92f98c6f..758a2fc4d 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/ip6_flowlabel.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/ip6_flowlabel.c
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
/* FL hash table */
#define FL_MAX_PER_SOCK 32
-#define FL_MAX_SIZE 4096
+#define FL_MAX_SIZE 8192
#define FL_HASH_MASK 255
#define FL_HASH(l) (ntohl(l)&FL_HASH_MASK)
@@ -162,8 +162,9 @@ static void ip6_fl_gc(struct timer_list *unused)
ttd = fl->expires;
if (time_after_eq(now, ttd)) {
*flp = fl->next;
- fl_free(fl);
atomic_dec(&fl_size);
+ atomic_dec(&fl->fl_net->ipv6.flowlabel_count);
+ fl_free(fl);
continue;
}
if (!sched || time_before(ttd, sched))
@@ -195,8 +196,9 @@ static void __net_exit ip6_fl_purge(struct net *net)
if (net_eq(fl->fl_net, net) &&
atomic_read(&fl->users) == 0) {
*flp = fl->next;
- fl_free(fl);
atomic_dec(&fl_size);
+ atomic_dec(&net->ipv6.flowlabel_count);
+ fl_free(fl);
continue;
}
flp = &fl->next;
@@ -245,6 +247,7 @@ static struct ip6_flowlabel *fl_intern(struct net *net,
fl->next = fl_ht[FL_HASH(fl->label)];
rcu_assign_pointer(fl_ht[FL_HASH(fl->label)], fl);
atomic_inc(&fl_size);
+ atomic_inc(&net->ipv6.flowlabel_count);
spin_unlock_bh(&ip6_fl_lock);
rcu_read_unlock();
return NULL;
@@ -464,6 +467,9 @@ fl_create(struct net *net, struct sock *sk, struct in6_flowlabel_req *freq,
static int mem_check(struct sock *sk)
{
+ const int unpriv_total_limit = FL_MAX_SIZE - (FL_MAX_SIZE / 4);
+ const int unpriv_user_limit = unpriv_total_limit / 2;
+ struct net *net = sock_net(sk);
int room = FL_MAX_SIZE - atomic_read(&fl_size);
struct ipv6_fl_socklist *sfl;
int count = 0;
@@ -478,7 +484,9 @@ static int mem_check(struct sock *sk)
if (room <= 0 ||
((count >= FL_MAX_PER_SOCK ||
- (count > 0 && room < FL_MAX_SIZE/2) || room < FL_MAX_SIZE/4) &&
+ (count > 0 && room < FL_MAX_SIZE/2) ||
+ room < FL_MAX_SIZE/4 ||
+ atomic_read(&net->ipv6.flowlabel_count) >= unpriv_user_limit) &&
!capable(CAP_NET_ADMIN)))
return -ENOBUFS;
--
2.34.1
^ permalink raw reply related [flat|nested] 2+ messages in thread
* Re: [PATCH net v5] ipv6: flowlabel: enforce per-netns limit for unprivileged callers
2026-05-02 5:00 [PATCH net v5] ipv6: flowlabel: enforce per-netns limit for unprivileged callers Maoyi Xie
@ 2026-05-02 13:33 ` Willem de Bruijn
0 siblings, 0 replies; 2+ messages in thread
From: Willem de Bruijn @ 2026-05-02 13:33 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: Maoyi Xie, netdev
Cc: willemdebruijn.kernel, willemb, edumazet, pabeni, kuba, davem,
dsahern, kuznet, linux-kernel, stable
Maoyi Xie wrote:
> fl_size, fl_ht and ip6_fl_lock in net/ipv6/ip6_flowlabel.c are file
> scope and shared across netns. mem_check() reads fl_size to decide
> whether to deny non-CAP_NET_ADMIN callers; capable() runs against
> init_user_ns, so an unprivileged user in any non-init userns can
> push fl_size past FL_MAX_SIZE - FL_MAX_SIZE/4 and starve every
> other unprivileged userns on the host.
>
> Add struct netns_ipv6::flowlabel_count, bumped and decremented next
> to fl_size in fl_intern, ip6_fl_gc and ip6_fl_purge. The new field
> is placed in the existing 4-byte hole after ipmr_seq, so struct
> netns_ipv6 stays the same size on 64-bit builds.
>
> Bump FL_MAX_SIZE from 4096 to 8192. It has been 4096 since the file
> was added; machines and connection counts have grown.
>
> mem_check() folds an extra per-netns ceiling into the existing
> non-CAP_NET_ADMIN conditional. The ceiling is half of the total
> budget that unprivileged callers have ever been able to use, i.e.
> (FL_MAX_SIZE - FL_MAX_SIZE/4) / 2 = 3072 entries. With FL_MAX_SIZE
> doubled, this preserves the original per-user reach (~3K, what an
> unprivileged caller could already obtain before this change) while
> forcing an attacker to spread allocations across at least two
> netns to exhaust the global non-CAP_NET_ADMIN budget.
>
> CAP_NET_ADMIN against init_user_ns still bypasses both caps.
>
> Fixes: 1da177e4c3f4 ("Linux-2.6.12-rc2")
> Suggested-by: Willem de Bruijn <willemb@google.com>
> Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org # v5.15+
> Signed-off-by: Maoyi Xie <maoyi.xie@ntu.edu.sg>
No longer applies cleanly to net. Conflict on
include/net/netns/ipv6.h. Please update your tree.
> ---
> v5 (this submission, addressing v4 review by Willem):
> - Replaced the per-netns ceiling FL_MAX_SIZE/8 with the
> computed unpriv_user_limit = (FL_MAX_SIZE - FL_MAX_SIZE/4)/2,
> which evaluates to 3072. v4's FL_MAX_SIZE/8 = 1024 would have
> reduced the per-user budget below the ~3K an unprivileged
> caller could already obtain before any of this work, defeating
> the reason FL_MAX_SIZE was doubled in the first place. The new
> ceiling preserves the original per-user reach while still
> requiring an attacker to spread across at least two netns to
> drain the global non-CAP_NET_ADMIN budget.
> - Reworded the corresponding paragraph in the commit body.
> v4: addressed Willem's v3 review on netdev. Dropped the
> flowlabel_has_excl cacheline argument in favour of "fills the
> existing 4-byte hole after ipmr_seq", and reordered
> atomic_dec(&...flowlabel_count) to sit immediately after
> atomic_dec(&fl_size) in ip6_fl_gc and ip6_fl_purge.
> v3: addressed Willem's review on the private security@ thread.
> Merged FL_MAX_SIZE doubling, dropped test data, moved
> flowlabel_count near ipmr_seq, inlined fl->fl_net in ip6_fl_gc.
> v2: per-netns counter + cap, sent to security@ as a 2-patch series.
> v1: fix-shape sketch in original disclosure.
>
> include/net/netns/ipv6.h | 1 +
> net/ipv6/ip6_flowlabel.c | 16 ++++++++++++----
> 2 files changed, 13 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/include/net/netns/ipv6.h b/include/net/netns/ipv6.h
> index 34bdb1308..329482373 100644
> --- a/include/net/netns/ipv6.h
> +++ b/include/net/netns/ipv6.h
> @@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ struct netns_ipv6 {
> struct fib_notifier_ops *notifier_ops;
> struct fib_notifier_ops *ip6mr_notifier_ops;
> unsigned int ipmr_seq; /* protected by rtnl_mutex */
> + atomic_t flowlabel_count;
> struct {
> struct hlist_head head;
> spinlock_t lock;
> diff --git a/net/ipv6/ip6_flowlabel.c b/net/ipv6/ip6_flowlabel.c
> index c92f98c6f..758a2fc4d 100644
> --- a/net/ipv6/ip6_flowlabel.c
> +++ b/net/ipv6/ip6_flowlabel.c
> @@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
> /* FL hash table */
>
> #define FL_MAX_PER_SOCK 32
> -#define FL_MAX_SIZE 4096
> +#define FL_MAX_SIZE 8192
> #define FL_HASH_MASK 255
> #define FL_HASH(l) (ntohl(l)&FL_HASH_MASK)
>
> @@ -162,8 +162,9 @@ static void ip6_fl_gc(struct timer_list *unused)
> ttd = fl->expires;
> if (time_after_eq(now, ttd)) {
> *flp = fl->next;
> - fl_free(fl);
> atomic_dec(&fl_size);
> + atomic_dec(&fl->fl_net->ipv6.flowlabel_count);
> + fl_free(fl);
Do not touch fl_free (here and below)
> continue;
> }
> if (!sched || time_before(ttd, sched))
> @@ -195,8 +196,9 @@ static void __net_exit ip6_fl_purge(struct net *net)
> if (net_eq(fl->fl_net, net) &&
> atomic_read(&fl->users) == 0) {
> *flp = fl->next;
> - fl_free(fl);
> atomic_dec(&fl_size);
> + atomic_dec(&net->ipv6.flowlabel_count);
> + fl_free(fl);
> continue;
> }
> flp = &fl->next;
> @@ -245,6 +247,7 @@ static struct ip6_flowlabel *fl_intern(struct net *net,
> fl->next = fl_ht[FL_HASH(fl->label)];
> rcu_assign_pointer(fl_ht[FL_HASH(fl->label)], fl);
> atomic_inc(&fl_size);
> + atomic_inc(&net->ipv6.flowlabel_count);
> spin_unlock_bh(&ip6_fl_lock);
> rcu_read_unlock();
> return NULL;
> @@ -464,6 +467,9 @@ fl_create(struct net *net, struct sock *sk, struct in6_flowlabel_req *freq,
>
> static int mem_check(struct sock *sk)
> {
> + const int unpriv_total_limit = FL_MAX_SIZE - (FL_MAX_SIZE / 4);
> + const int unpriv_user_limit = unpriv_total_limit / 2;
> + struct net *net = sock_net(sk);
> int room = FL_MAX_SIZE - atomic_read(&fl_size);
> struct ipv6_fl_socklist *sfl;
> int count = 0;
> @@ -478,7 +484,9 @@ static int mem_check(struct sock *sk)
>
> if (room <= 0 ||
> ((count >= FL_MAX_PER_SOCK ||
> - (count > 0 && room < FL_MAX_SIZE/2) || room < FL_MAX_SIZE/4) &&
> + (count > 0 && room < FL_MAX_SIZE/2) ||
> + room < FL_MAX_SIZE/4 ||
> + atomic_read(&net->ipv6.flowlabel_count) >= unpriv_user_limit) &&
> !capable(CAP_NET_ADMIN)))
> return -ENOBUFS;
>
> --
> 2.34.1
>
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