From: Weiming Shi <bestswngs@gmail.com>
To: Paolo Abeni <pabeni@redhat.com>
Cc: security@kernel.org, edumazet@google.com, davem@davemloft.net,
kuba@kernel.org, horms@kernel.org, netdev@vger.kernel.org,
linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, xmei5@asu.edu
Subject: Re: [PATCH net v2] net: add xmit recursion limit to tunnel drivers
Date: Fri, 6 Mar 2026 01:08:16 +0800 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <aam4gAw4D782kDsE@SLSGDTSWING002> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <a8a81818-459f-4c09-8448-31a191f7b2bb@redhat.com>
On 26-03-05 15:34, Paolo Abeni wrote:
> On 3/3/26 5:43 PM, bestswngs@gmail.com wrote:
> > From: Weiming Shi <bestswngs@gmail.com>
> >
> > __dev_queue_xmit() has two transmit code paths depending on whether the
> > device has a qdisc attached:
> >
> > 1. Qdisc path (q->enqueue): calls __dev_xmit_skb()
> > 2. No-qdisc path: calls dev_hard_start_xmit() directly
> >
> > Commit 745e20f1b626 ("net: add a recursion limit in xmit path") added
> > recursion protection to the no-qdisc path via dev_xmit_recursion()
> > check and dev_xmit_recursion_inc()/dec() tracking. However, the qdisc
> > path performs no recursion depth checking at all.
> >
> > This allows unbounded recursion through qdisc-attached devices. For
> > example, a bond interface in broadcast mode with gretap slaves whose
> > remote endpoints route back through the bond creates an infinite
> > transmit loop that exhausts the kernel stack:
> >
> > BUG: KASAN: stack-out-of-bounds in blake2s.constprop.0+0xe7/0x160
> > Write of size 32 at addr ffff88810033fed0 by task kworker/0:1/11
> > Workqueue: mld mld_ifc_work
> > Call Trace:
> > <TASK>
> > __build_flow_key.constprop.0 (net/ipv4/route.c:515)
> > ip_rt_update_pmtu (net/ipv4/route.c:1073)
> > iptunnel_xmit (net/ipv4/ip_tunnel_core.c:84)
> > ip_tunnel_xmit (net/ipv4/ip_tunnel.c:847)
> > gre_tap_xmit (net/ipv4/ip_gre.c:779)
> > dev_hard_start_xmit (net/core/dev.c:3887)
> > sch_direct_xmit (net/sched/sch_generic.c:347)
> > __dev_queue_xmit (net/core/dev.c:4802)
> > bond_dev_queue_xmit (drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c:312)
> > bond_xmit_broadcast (drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c:5279)
> > bond_start_xmit (drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c:5530)
> > dev_hard_start_xmit (net/core/dev.c:3887)
> > __dev_queue_xmit (net/core/dev.c:4841)
> > ip_finish_output2 (net/ipv4/ip_output.c:237)
> > ip_output (net/ipv4/ip_output.c:438)
> > iptunnel_xmit (net/ipv4/ip_tunnel_core.c:86)
> > gre_tap_xmit (net/ipv4/ip_gre.c:779)
> > dev_hard_start_xmit (net/core/dev.c:3887)
> > sch_direct_xmit (net/sched/sch_generic.c:347)
> > __dev_queue_xmit (net/core/dev.c:4802)
> > bond_dev_queue_xmit (drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c:312)
> > bond_xmit_broadcast (drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c:5279)
> > bond_start_xmit (drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c:5530)
> > dev_hard_start_xmit (net/core/dev.c:3887)
> > __dev_queue_xmit (net/core/dev.c:4841)
> > ip_finish_output2 (net/ipv4/ip_output.c:237)
> > ip_output (net/ipv4/ip_output.c:438)
> > iptunnel_xmit (net/ipv4/ip_tunnel_core.c:86)
> > ip_tunnel_xmit (net/ipv4/ip_tunnel.c:847)
> > gre_tap_xmit (net/ipv4/ip_gre.c:779)
> > dev_hard_start_xmit (net/core/dev.c:3887)
> > sch_direct_xmit (net/sched/sch_generic.c:347)
> > __dev_queue_xmit (net/core/dev.c:4802)
> > bond_dev_queue_xmit (drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c:312)
> > bond_xmit_broadcast (drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c:5279)
> > bond_start_xmit (drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c:5530)
> > dev_hard_start_xmit (net/core/dev.c:3887)
> > __dev_queue_xmit (net/core/dev.c:4841)
> > mld_sendpack
> > mld_ifc_work
> > process_one_work
> > worker_thread
> > </TASK>
> >
> > Rather than adding an expensive recursion check to the common qdisc
> > fast path, add recursion detection directly in tunnel drivers where
> > route lookups can create these loops, as suggested by Eric Dumazet.
> >
> > Use a lower limit (IP_TUNNEL_RECURSION_LIMIT=4) than XMIT_RECURSION_LIMIT
> > (8) because each tunnel recursion level involves route lookups and full
> > IP output processing, consuming significantly more stack per level.
> >
> > Move dev_xmit_recursion helpers from the private net/core/dev.h header
> > to the public include/linux/netdevice.h so tunnel drivers can use them.
> >
> > Fixes: 745e20f1b626 ("net: add a recursion limit in xmit path")
> > Reported-by: Xiang Mei <xmei5@asu.edu>
> > Signed-off-by: Weiming Shi <bestswngs@gmail.com>
> > ---
> > v2:
> > - Move recursion check from qdisc path to tunnel drivers (Eric Dumazet)
> > - Add IPv6 tunnel (ip6_tunnel) coverage
> > - Use lower recursion limit (4) for tunnel-specific stack consumption
> >
> > include/linux/netdevice.h | 32 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> > include/net/ip_tunnels.h | 7 +++++++
> > net/core/dev.h | 34 ----------------------------------
> > net/ipv4/ip_tunnel.c | 10 ++++++++++
> > net/ipv6/ip6_tunnel.c | 10 ++++++++++
> > 5 files changed, 59 insertions(+), 34 deletions(-)
> >
> > diff --git a/include/linux/netdevice.h b/include/linux/netdevice.h
> > index d4e6e00bb90a..1a4d2542dbab 100644
> > --- a/include/linux/netdevice.h
> > +++ b/include/linux/netdevice.h
> > @@ -3576,17 +3576,49 @@ struct page_pool_bh {
> > };
> > DECLARE_PER_CPU(struct page_pool_bh, system_page_pool);
> >
> > +#define XMIT_RECURSION_LIMIT 8
> > +
> > #ifndef CONFIG_PREEMPT_RT
> > static inline int dev_recursion_level(void)
> > {
> > return this_cpu_read(softnet_data.xmit.recursion);
> > }
> > +
> > +static inline bool dev_xmit_recursion(void)
> > +{
> > + return unlikely(__this_cpu_read(softnet_data.xmit.recursion) >
> > + XMIT_RECURSION_LIMIT);
> > +}
> > +
> > +static inline void dev_xmit_recursion_inc(void)
> > +{
> > + __this_cpu_inc(softnet_data.xmit.recursion);
> > +}
> > +
> > +static inline void dev_xmit_recursion_dec(void)
> > +{
> > + __this_cpu_dec(softnet_data.xmit.recursion);
> > +}
> > #else
> > static inline int dev_recursion_level(void)
> > {
> > return current->net_xmit.recursion;
> > }
> >
> > +static inline bool dev_xmit_recursion(void)
> > +{
> > + return unlikely(current->net_xmit.recursion > XMIT_RECURSION_LIMIT);
> > +}
> > +
> > +static inline void dev_xmit_recursion_inc(void)
> > +{
> > + current->net_xmit.recursion++;
> > +}
> > +
> > +static inline void dev_xmit_recursion_dec(void)
> > +{
> > + current->net_xmit.recursion--;
> > +}
> > #endif
> >
> > void __netif_schedule(struct Qdisc *q);
> > diff --git a/include/net/ip_tunnels.h b/include/net/ip_tunnels.h
> > index 4021e6a73e32..80662f812080 100644
> > --- a/include/net/ip_tunnels.h
> > +++ b/include/net/ip_tunnels.h
> > @@ -27,6 +27,13 @@
> > #include <net/ip6_route.h>
> > #endif
> >
> > +/* Recursion limit for tunnel xmit to detect routing loops.
> > + * Unlike XMIT_RECURSION_LIMIT (8) used in the no-qdisc path, tunnel
> > + * recursion involves route lookups and full IP output, consuming much
> > + * more stack per level, so a lower limit is needed.
> > + */
> > +#define IP_TUNNEL_RECURSION_LIMIT 4
> > +
> > /* Keep error state on tunnel for 30 sec */
> > #define IPTUNNEL_ERR_TIMEO (30*HZ)
> >
> > diff --git a/net/core/dev.h b/net/core/dev.h
> > index 98793a738f43..ec974b3c42d9 100644
> > --- a/net/core/dev.h
> > +++ b/net/core/dev.h
> > @@ -366,40 +366,6 @@ static inline void napi_assert_will_not_race(const struct napi_struct *napi)
> >
> > void kick_defer_list_purge(unsigned int cpu);
> >
> > -#define XMIT_RECURSION_LIMIT 8
> > -
> > -#ifndef CONFIG_PREEMPT_RT
> > -static inline bool dev_xmit_recursion(void)
> > -{
> > - return unlikely(__this_cpu_read(softnet_data.xmit.recursion) >
> > - XMIT_RECURSION_LIMIT);
> > -}
> > -
> > -static inline void dev_xmit_recursion_inc(void)
> > -{
> > - __this_cpu_inc(softnet_data.xmit.recursion);
> > -}
> > -
> > -static inline void dev_xmit_recursion_dec(void)
> > -{
> > - __this_cpu_dec(softnet_data.xmit.recursion);
> > -}
> > -#else
> > -static inline bool dev_xmit_recursion(void)
> > -{
> > - return unlikely(current->net_xmit.recursion > XMIT_RECURSION_LIMIT);
> > -}
> > -
> > -static inline void dev_xmit_recursion_inc(void)
> > -{
> > - current->net_xmit.recursion++;
> > -}
> > -
> > -static inline void dev_xmit_recursion_dec(void)
> > -{
> > - current->net_xmit.recursion--;
> > -}
> > -#endif
> >
> > int dev_set_hwtstamp_phylib(struct net_device *dev,
> > struct kernel_hwtstamp_config *cfg,
> > diff --git a/net/ipv4/ip_tunnel.c b/net/ipv4/ip_tunnel.c
> > index 50d0f5fe4e4c..39822e845a06 100644
> > --- a/net/ipv4/ip_tunnel.c
> > +++ b/net/ipv4/ip_tunnel.c
> > @@ -683,6 +683,14 @@ void ip_tunnel_xmit(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev,
> > __be32 dst;
> > __be16 df;
> >
> > + if (dev_recursion_level() > IP_TUNNEL_RECURSION_LIMIT) {
> > + net_crit_ratelimited("Dead loop on virtual device %s, fix it urgently!\n",
> > + dev->name);
> > + DEV_STATS_INC(dev, tx_errors);
> > + kfree_skb(skb);
> > + return;
> > + }
> > +
> > inner_iph = (const struct iphdr *)skb_inner_network_header(skb);
> > connected = (tunnel->parms.iph.daddr != 0);
> > payload_protocol = skb_protocol(skb, true);
> > @@ -842,8 +850,10 @@ void ip_tunnel_xmit(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev,
> >
> > ip_tunnel_adj_headroom(dev, max_headroom);
> >
> > + dev_xmit_recursion_inc();
> > iptunnel_xmit(NULL, rt, skb, fl4.saddr, fl4.daddr, protocol, tos, ttl,
> > df, !net_eq(tunnel->net, dev_net(dev)), 0);
>
> I think this check should go in iptunnel_xmit(), or UDP tunnels will
> remain unprotected.
>
> Same thing for the IPv6 case.
>
> > + dev_xmit_recursion_dec();
> > return;
> >
> > #if IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_IPV6)
> > diff --git a/net/ipv6/ip6_tunnel.c b/net/ipv6/ip6_tunnel.c
> > index 4c29aa94e86e..55bedd5cd656 100644
> > --- a/net/ipv6/ip6_tunnel.c
> > +++ b/net/ipv6/ip6_tunnel.c
> > @@ -1101,6 +1101,14 @@ int ip6_tnl_xmit(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev, __u8 dsfield,
> > u8 hop_limit;
> > int err = -1;
> >
> > + if (dev_recursion_level() > IP_TUNNEL_RECURSION_LIMIT) {
> > + net_crit_ratelimited("Dead loop on virtual device %s, fix it urgently!\n",
> > + dev->name);
> > + DEV_STATS_INC(dev, tx_errors);
> > + kfree_skb(skb);
> > + return -1;
>
> I think an standard error code is expected here. Possibly -ELOOP?
>
> /P
>
Hi Paolo,
Thanks for the review.
I agree that moving the check into iptunnel_xmit() / ip6tunnel_xmit()
is better, as it also covers UDP tunnels. Will do in v3.
Thanks,
Weiming Shi
prev parent reply other threads:[~2026-03-05 17:08 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 4+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2026-03-03 16:43 [PATCH net v2] net: add xmit recursion limit to tunnel drivers bestswngs
2026-03-05 14:23 ` [net,v2] " Paolo Abeni
2026-03-05 14:34 ` [PATCH net v2] " Paolo Abeni
2026-03-05 17:08 ` Weiming Shi [this message]
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