* [PATCH] net/packet: fix TOCTOU race on mmap'd vnet_hdr in tpacket_snd()
[not found] <CAHOBGNBvZOXGzzMDuHWw1RrRvbg4TZVH34jVDhc1nkHbW_URXA@mail.gmail.com>
@ 2026-04-17 6:07 ` Zero Mark
2026-04-17 8:15 ` Willem de Bruijn
0 siblings, 1 reply; 6+ messages in thread
From: Zero Mark @ 2026-04-17 6:07 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: Willem de Bruijn
Cc: security, David S . Miller, Jakub Kicinski, Eric Dumazet, netdev,
Zero Mark
In tpacket_snd(), when PACKET_VNET_HDR is enabled, vnet_hdr points
directly into the mmap'd TX ring buffer shared with userspace. The
kernel validates the header via __packet_snd_vnet_parse() but then
re-reads all fields later in virtio_net_hdr_to_skb(). A concurrent
userspace thread can modify the vnet_hdr fields (gso_type, gso_size,
flags, csum_start, csum_offset) between validation and use, bypassing
all safety checks.
This can lead to:
- Out-of-bounds checksum writes via crafted csum_start/csum_offset
- Malicious GSO segmentation parameters
- Kernel memory corruption and potential local privilege escalation
The non-TPACKET path (packet_snd()) already correctly copies vnet_hdr
to a stack-local variable. All other vnet_hdr consumers in the kernel
(tun.c, tap.c, virtio_net.c) also use stack copies. The TPACKET TX
path is the only caller of virtio_net_hdr_to_skb() that reads directly
from user-controlled shared memory.
Fix this by copying vnet_hdr from the mmap'd ring buffer to a
stack-local variable before validation and use, consistent with the
approach used in packet_snd() and all other callers.
Exploitation requires CAP_NET_RAW, which can be obtained without
special privileges via user namespaces.
Confirmed with a PoC on Linux 6.8.0 (Ubuntu): kprobe tracing on
skb_partial_csum_set captured 77 race wins in 500,000 iterations.
Affects all kernels since PACKET_VNET_HDR support was added to the
TPACKET TX path (~v3.14).
Fixes: 9ed988e5 ("packet: add vnet_hdr support for tpacket_snd")
Signed-off-by: Zero Mark <patzilla007@gmail.com>
---
net/packet/af_packet.c | 14 ++++++++------
1 file changed, 8 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)
diff --git a/net/packet/af_packet.c b/net/packet/af_packet.c
index abcdef012345..fedcba654321 100644
--- a/net/packet/af_packet.c
+++ b/net/packet/af_packet.c
@@ -2725,7 +2725,8 @@ static int tpacket_parse_header(struct packet_sock *po, void *frame,
static int tpacket_snd(struct packet_sock *po, struct msghdr *msg)
{
struct sk_buff *skb = NULL;
struct net_device *dev;
- struct virtio_net_hdr *vnet_hdr = NULL;
+ struct virtio_net_hdr vnet_hdr;
+ bool has_vnet_hdr = false;
struct sockcm_cookie sockc;
__be16 proto;
int err, reserve = 0;
@@ -2828,16 +2829,17 @@ static int tpacket_snd(struct packet_sock *po, struct msghdr *msg)
if (po->has_vnet_hdr) {
- vnet_hdr = data;
- data += sizeof(*vnet_hdr);
- tp_len -= sizeof(*vnet_hdr);
+ memcpy(&vnet_hdr, data, sizeof(vnet_hdr));
+ data += sizeof(vnet_hdr);
+ tp_len -= sizeof(vnet_hdr);
if (tp_len < 0 ||
- __packet_snd_vnet_parse(vnet_hdr, tp_len)) {
+ __packet_snd_vnet_parse(&vnet_hdr, tp_len)) {
tp_len = -EINVAL;
goto tpacket_error;
}
copylen = __virtio16_to_cpu(vio_le(),
- vnet_hdr->hdr_len);
+ vnet_hdr.hdr_len);
+ has_vnet_hdr = true;
}
copylen = max_t(int, copylen, dev->hard_header_len);
skb = sock_alloc_send_skb(&po->sk,
@@ -2875,11 +2877,11 @@ static int tpacket_snd(struct packet_sock *po, struct msghdr *msg)
}
- if (po->has_vnet_hdr) {
- if (virtio_net_hdr_to_skb(skb, vnet_hdr, vio_le())) {
+ if (has_vnet_hdr) {
+ if (virtio_net_hdr_to_skb(skb, &vnet_hdr, vio_le())) {
tp_len = -EINVAL;
goto tpacket_error;
}
- virtio_net_hdr_set_proto(skb, vnet_hdr);
+ virtio_net_hdr_set_proto(skb, &vnet_hdr);
}
skb->destructor = tpacket_destruct_skb;
--
2.43.0
^ permalink raw reply related [flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread
* Re: [PATCH] net/packet: fix TOCTOU race on mmap'd vnet_hdr in tpacket_snd()
2026-04-17 6:07 ` [PATCH] net/packet: fix TOCTOU race on mmap'd vnet_hdr in tpacket_snd() Zero Mark
@ 2026-04-17 8:15 ` Willem de Bruijn
2026-04-17 13:36 ` [PATCH net] " Zero Mark
0 siblings, 1 reply; 6+ messages in thread
From: Willem de Bruijn @ 2026-04-17 8:15 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: Zero Mark, Willem de Bruijn
Cc: security, David S . Miller, Jakub Kicinski, Eric Dumazet, netdev,
Zero Mark
Zero Mark wrote:
> In tpacket_snd(), when PACKET_VNET_HDR is enabled, vnet_hdr points
> directly into the mmap'd TX ring buffer shared with userspace. The
> kernel validates the header via __packet_snd_vnet_parse() but then
> re-reads all fields later in virtio_net_hdr_to_skb(). A concurrent
> userspace thread can modify the vnet_hdr fields (gso_type, gso_size,
> flags, csum_start, csum_offset) between validation and use, bypassing
> all safety checks.
>
> This can lead to:
> - Out-of-bounds checksum writes via crafted csum_start/csum_offset
> - Malicious GSO segmentation parameters
> - Kernel memory corruption and potential local privilege escalation
>
> The non-TPACKET path (packet_snd()) already correctly copies vnet_hdr
> to a stack-local variable. All other vnet_hdr consumers in the kernel
> (tun.c, tap.c, virtio_net.c) also use stack copies. The TPACKET TX
> path is the only caller of virtio_net_hdr_to_skb() that reads directly
> from user-controlled shared memory.
>
> Fix this by copying vnet_hdr from the mmap'd ring buffer to a
> stack-local variable before validation and use, consistent with the
> approach used in packet_snd() and all other callers.
>
> Exploitation requires CAP_NET_RAW, which can be obtained without
> special privileges via user namespaces.
>
> Confirmed with a PoC on Linux 6.8.0 (Ubuntu): kprobe tracing on
> skb_partial_csum_set captured 77 race wins in 500,000 iterations.
No need to add such details on exploitability of bugs.
> Affects all kernels since PACKET_VNET_HDR support was added to the
> TPACKET TX path (~v3.14).
>
> Fixes: 9ed988e5 ("packet: add vnet_hdr support for tpacket_snd")
This patch does not exist. Also 12-char SHA1.
I think this should be
Fixes: 1d036d25e560 ("packet: tpacket_snd gso and checksum offload")
> Signed-off-by: Zero Mark <patzilla007@gmail.com>
Thanks for the fix!
Only it does not apply cleanly. Please mark fixes [PATCH net] and
ensure that they apply to current netdev-net/main
https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/process/maintainer-netdev.html
> ---
> net/packet/af_packet.c | 14 ++++++++------
> 1 file changed, 8 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/net/packet/af_packet.c b/net/packet/af_packet.c
> index abcdef012345..fedcba654321 100644
> --- a/net/packet/af_packet.c
> +++ b/net/packet/af_packet.c
> @@ -2725,7 +2725,8 @@ static int tpacket_parse_header(struct packet_sock *po, void *frame,
> static int tpacket_snd(struct packet_sock *po, struct msghdr *msg)
> {
> struct sk_buff *skb = NULL;
> struct net_device *dev;
> - struct virtio_net_hdr *vnet_hdr = NULL;
> + struct virtio_net_hdr vnet_hdr;
> + bool has_vnet_hdr = false;
> struct sockcm_cookie sockc;
> __be16 proto;
> int err, reserve = 0;
> @@ -2828,16 +2829,17 @@ static int tpacket_snd(struct packet_sock *po, struct msghdr *msg)
> if (po->has_vnet_hdr) {
> - vnet_hdr = data;
> - data += sizeof(*vnet_hdr);
> - tp_len -= sizeof(*vnet_hdr);
> + memcpy(&vnet_hdr, data, sizeof(vnet_hdr));
Move the tp_len < 0 check before memcpy
> + data += sizeof(vnet_hdr);
> + tp_len -= sizeof(vnet_hdr);
> if (tp_len < 0 ||
> - __packet_snd_vnet_parse(vnet_hdr, tp_len)) {
> + __packet_snd_vnet_parse(&vnet_hdr, tp_len)) {
> tp_len = -EINVAL;
> goto tpacket_error;
> }
> copylen = __virtio16_to_cpu(vio_le(),
> - vnet_hdr->hdr_len);
> + vnet_hdr.hdr_len);
> + has_vnet_hdr = true;
> }
> copylen = max_t(int, copylen, dev->hard_header_len);
> skb = sock_alloc_send_skb(&po->sk,
> @@ -2875,11 +2877,11 @@ static int tpacket_snd(struct packet_sock *po, struct msghdr *msg)
> }
>
> - if (po->has_vnet_hdr) {
> - if (virtio_net_hdr_to_skb(skb, vnet_hdr, vio_le())) {
> + if (has_vnet_hdr) {
> + if (virtio_net_hdr_to_skb(skb, &vnet_hdr, vio_le())) {
> tp_len = -EINVAL;
> goto tpacket_error;
> }
> - virtio_net_hdr_set_proto(skb, vnet_hdr);
> + virtio_net_hdr_set_proto(skb, &vnet_hdr);
> }
>
> skb->destructor = tpacket_destruct_skb;
> --
> 2.43.0
>
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread
* [PATCH net] net/packet: fix TOCTOU race on mmap'd vnet_hdr in tpacket_snd()
2026-04-17 8:15 ` Willem de Bruijn
@ 2026-04-17 13:36 ` Zero Mark
2026-04-17 20:01 ` Willem de Bruijn
0 siblings, 1 reply; 6+ messages in thread
From: Zero Mark @ 2026-04-17 13:36 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: Willem de Bruijn
Cc: security, David S . Miller, Jakub Kicinski, Eric Dumazet, netdev,
Zero Mark
In tpacket_snd(), when PACKET_VNET_HDR is enabled, vnet_hdr points
directly into the mmap'd TX ring buffer shared with userspace. The
kernel validates the header via __packet_snd_vnet_parse() but then
re-reads all fields later in virtio_net_hdr_to_skb(). A concurrent
userspace thread can modify the vnet_hdr fields between validation
and use, bypassing all safety checks.
The non-TPACKET path (packet_snd()) already correctly copies vnet_hdr
to a stack-local variable. All other vnet_hdr consumers in the kernel
(tun.c, tap.c, virtio_net.c) also use stack copies. The TPACKET TX
path is the only caller of virtio_net_hdr_to_skb() that reads directly
from user-controlled shared memory.
Fix this by copying vnet_hdr from the mmap'd ring buffer to a
stack-local variable before validation and use, consistent with the
approach used in packet_snd() and all other callers.
Fixes: 1d036d25e560 ("packet: tpacket_snd gso and checksum offload")
Signed-off-by: Zero Mark <patzilla007@gmail.com>
---
net/packet/af_packet.c | 21 +++++++++++++--------
1 file changed, 13 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)
diff --git a/net/packet/af_packet.c b/net/packet/af_packet.c
index 4b043241fd56..8e6f3a734ba0 100644
--- a/net/packet/af_packet.c
+++ b/net/packet/af_packet.c
@@ -2718,7 +2718,8 @@ static int tpacket_snd(struct packet_sock *po, struct msghdr *msg)
{
struct sk_buff *skb = NULL;
struct net_device *dev;
- struct virtio_net_hdr *vnet_hdr = NULL;
+ struct virtio_net_hdr vnet_hdr;
+ bool has_vnet_hdr = false;
struct sockcm_cookie sockc;
__be16 proto;
int err, reserve = 0;
@@ -2819,16 +2820,20 @@ static int tpacket_snd(struct packet_sock *po, struct msghdr *msg)
hlen = LL_RESERVED_SPACE(dev);
tlen = dev->needed_tailroom;
if (vnet_hdr_sz) {
- vnet_hdr = data;
data += vnet_hdr_sz;
tp_len -= vnet_hdr_sz;
- if (tp_len < 0 ||
- __packet_snd_vnet_parse(vnet_hdr, tp_len)) {
+ if (tp_len < 0) {
+ tp_len = -EINVAL;
+ goto tpacket_error;
+ }
+ memcpy(&vnet_hdr, data - vnet_hdr_sz, sizeof(vnet_hdr));
+ if (__packet_snd_vnet_parse(&vnet_hdr, tp_len)) {
tp_len = -EINVAL;
goto tpacket_error;
}
copylen = __virtio16_to_cpu(vio_le(),
- vnet_hdr->hdr_len);
+ vnet_hdr.hdr_len);
+ has_vnet_hdr = true;
}
copylen = max_t(int, copylen, dev->hard_header_len);
skb = sock_alloc_send_skb(&po->sk,
@@ -2865,12 +2870,12 @@ static int tpacket_snd(struct packet_sock *po, struct msghdr *msg)
}
}
- if (vnet_hdr_sz) {
- if (virtio_net_hdr_to_skb(skb, vnet_hdr, vio_le())) {
+ if (has_vnet_hdr) {
+ if (virtio_net_hdr_to_skb(skb, &vnet_hdr, vio_le())) {
tp_len = -EINVAL;
goto tpacket_error;
}
- virtio_net_hdr_set_proto(skb, vnet_hdr);
+ virtio_net_hdr_set_proto(skb, &vnet_hdr);
}
skb->destructor = tpacket_destruct_skb;
--
2.53.0
^ permalink raw reply related [flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread
* Re: [PATCH net] net/packet: fix TOCTOU race on mmap'd vnet_hdr in tpacket_snd()
2026-04-17 13:36 ` [PATCH net] " Zero Mark
@ 2026-04-17 20:01 ` Willem de Bruijn
0 siblings, 0 replies; 6+ messages in thread
From: Willem de Bruijn @ 2026-04-17 20:01 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: Zero Mark, Willem de Bruijn
Cc: security, David S . Miller, Jakub Kicinski, Eric Dumazet, netdev,
Zero Mark
Zero Mark wrote:
> In tpacket_snd(), when PACKET_VNET_HDR is enabled, vnet_hdr points
> directly into the mmap'd TX ring buffer shared with userspace. The
> kernel validates the header via __packet_snd_vnet_parse() but then
> re-reads all fields later in virtio_net_hdr_to_skb(). A concurrent
> userspace thread can modify the vnet_hdr fields between validation
> and use, bypassing all safety checks.
>
> The non-TPACKET path (packet_snd()) already correctly copies vnet_hdr
> to a stack-local variable. All other vnet_hdr consumers in the kernel
> (tun.c, tap.c, virtio_net.c) also use stack copies. The TPACKET TX
> path is the only caller of virtio_net_hdr_to_skb() that reads directly
> from user-controlled shared memory.
>
> Fix this by copying vnet_hdr from the mmap'd ring buffer to a
> stack-local variable before validation and use, consistent with the
> approach used in packet_snd() and all other callers.
>
> Fixes: 1d036d25e560 ("packet: tpacket_snd gso and checksum offload")
> Signed-off-by: Zero Mark <patzilla007@gmail.com>
Reviewed-by: Willem de Bruijn <willemb@google.com>
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread
* [PATCH net] net/packet: fix TOCTOU race on mmap'd vnet_hdr in tpacket_snd()
[not found] <2026041858-estimator-shower-0f16@gregkh>
@ 2026-04-18 11:20 ` Bingquan Chen
2026-04-18 20:17 ` Willem de Bruijn
0 siblings, 1 reply; 6+ messages in thread
From: Bingquan Chen @ 2026-04-18 11:20 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: Willem de Bruijn, Greg KH
Cc: Stephen Hemminger, security, David S . Miller, Jakub Kicinski,
Eric Dumazet, netdev, Bingquan Chen
In tpacket_snd(), when PACKET_VNET_HDR is enabled, vnet_hdr points
directly into the mmap'd TX ring buffer shared with userspace. The
kernel validates the header via __packet_snd_vnet_parse() but then
re-reads all fields later in virtio_net_hdr_to_skb(). A concurrent
userspace thread can modify the vnet_hdr fields between validation
and use, bypassing all safety checks.
The non-TPACKET path (packet_snd()) already correctly copies vnet_hdr
to a stack-local variable. All other vnet_hdr consumers in the kernel
(tun.c, tap.c, virtio_net.c) also use stack copies. The TPACKET TX
path is the only caller of virtio_net_hdr_to_skb() that reads directly
from user-controlled shared memory.
Fix this by copying vnet_hdr from the mmap'd ring buffer to a
stack-local variable before validation and use, consistent with the
approach used in packet_snd() and all other callers.
Fixes: 1d036d25e560 ("packet: tpacket_snd gso and checksum offload")
Signed-off-by: Bingquan Chen <patzilla007@gmail.com>
---
net/packet/af_packet.c | 21 +++++++++++++--------
1 file changed, 13 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)
diff --git a/net/packet/af_packet.c b/net/packet/af_packet.c
index 4b043241fd56..8e6f3a734ba0 100644
--- a/net/packet/af_packet.c
+++ b/net/packet/af_packet.c
@@ -2718,7 +2718,8 @@ static int tpacket_snd(struct packet_sock *po, struct msghdr *msg)
{
struct sk_buff *skb = NULL;
struct net_device *dev;
- struct virtio_net_hdr *vnet_hdr = NULL;
+ struct virtio_net_hdr vnet_hdr;
+ bool has_vnet_hdr = false;
struct sockcm_cookie sockc;
__be16 proto;
int err, reserve = 0;
@@ -2819,16 +2820,20 @@ static int tpacket_snd(struct packet_sock *po, struct msghdr *msg)
hlen = LL_RESERVED_SPACE(dev);
tlen = dev->needed_tailroom;
if (vnet_hdr_sz) {
- vnet_hdr = data;
data += vnet_hdr_sz;
tp_len -= vnet_hdr_sz;
- if (tp_len < 0 ||
- __packet_snd_vnet_parse(vnet_hdr, tp_len)) {
+ if (tp_len < 0) {
+ tp_len = -EINVAL;
+ goto tpacket_error;
+ }
+ memcpy(&vnet_hdr, data - vnet_hdr_sz, sizeof(vnet_hdr));
+ if (__packet_snd_vnet_parse(&vnet_hdr, tp_len)) {
tp_len = -EINVAL;
goto tpacket_error;
}
copylen = __virtio16_to_cpu(vio_le(),
- vnet_hdr->hdr_len);
+ vnet_hdr.hdr_len);
+ has_vnet_hdr = true;
}
copylen = max_t(int, copylen, dev->hard_header_len);
skb = sock_alloc_send_skb(&po->sk,
@@ -2865,12 +2870,12 @@ static int tpacket_snd(struct packet_sock *po, struct msghdr *msg)
}
}
- if (vnet_hdr_sz) {
- if (virtio_net_hdr_to_skb(skb, vnet_hdr, vio_le())) {
+ if (has_vnet_hdr) {
+ if (virtio_net_hdr_to_skb(skb, &vnet_hdr, vio_le())) {
tp_len = -EINVAL;
goto tpacket_error;
}
- virtio_net_hdr_set_proto(skb, vnet_hdr);
+ virtio_net_hdr_set_proto(skb, &vnet_hdr);
}
skb->destructor = tpacket_destruct_skb;
--
2.53.0
^ permalink raw reply related [flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread
* Re: [PATCH net] net/packet: fix TOCTOU race on mmap'd vnet_hdr in tpacket_snd()
2026-04-18 11:20 ` Bingquan Chen
@ 2026-04-18 20:17 ` Willem de Bruijn
0 siblings, 0 replies; 6+ messages in thread
From: Willem de Bruijn @ 2026-04-18 20:17 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: Bingquan Chen, Willem de Bruijn, Greg KH
Cc: Stephen Hemminger, security, David S . Miller, Jakub Kicinski,
Eric Dumazet, netdev, Bingquan Chen
Bingquan Chen wrote:
> In tpacket_snd(), when PACKET_VNET_HDR is enabled, vnet_hdr points
> directly into the mmap'd TX ring buffer shared with userspace. The
> kernel validates the header via __packet_snd_vnet_parse() but then
> re-reads all fields later in virtio_net_hdr_to_skb(). A concurrent
> userspace thread can modify the vnet_hdr fields between validation
> and use, bypassing all safety checks.
>
> The non-TPACKET path (packet_snd()) already correctly copies vnet_hdr
> to a stack-local variable. All other vnet_hdr consumers in the kernel
> (tun.c, tap.c, virtio_net.c) also use stack copies. The TPACKET TX
> path is the only caller of virtio_net_hdr_to_skb() that reads directly
> from user-controlled shared memory.
>
> Fix this by copying vnet_hdr from the mmap'd ring buffer to a
> stack-local variable before validation and use, consistent with the
> approach used in packet_snd() and all other callers.
>
> Fixes: 1d036d25e560 ("packet: tpacket_snd gso and checksum offload")
> Signed-off-by: Bingquan Chen <patzilla007@gmail.com>
Reviewed-by: Willem de Bruijn <willemb@google.com>
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread
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[not found] <CAHOBGNBvZOXGzzMDuHWw1RrRvbg4TZVH34jVDhc1nkHbW_URXA@mail.gmail.com>
2026-04-17 6:07 ` [PATCH] net/packet: fix TOCTOU race on mmap'd vnet_hdr in tpacket_snd() Zero Mark
2026-04-17 8:15 ` Willem de Bruijn
2026-04-17 13:36 ` [PATCH net] " Zero Mark
2026-04-17 20:01 ` Willem de Bruijn
[not found] <2026041858-estimator-shower-0f16@gregkh>
2026-04-18 11:20 ` Bingquan Chen
2026-04-18 20:17 ` Willem de Bruijn
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