[PATCH v5] net: gro: fix double aggregation of flush-marked skbs
From: Shiming Cheng <hidden>
Date: 2026-07-06 03:46:24
Also in:
linux-arm-kernel, linux-mediatek, lkml, stable
Subsystem:
networking [general], the rest · Maintainers:
"David S. Miller", Eric Dumazet, Jakub Kicinski, Paolo Abeni, Linus Torvalds
The skb_gro_receive_list() function is missing a critical safety check
that exists in the skb_gro_receive() implementation. Specifically, it
does not validate NAPI_GRO_CB(skb)->flush before allowing packet
aggregation
This allows already-GRO'd packets with existing frag_list to be
re-aggregated into a new GRO session, corrupting the frag_list chain
structure. When skb_segment() attempts to unpack these malformed packets,
it encounters invalid state and triggers a kernel panic.
Scenario (Tethering/Device forwarding):
1. Driver: Generated aggregated packet P1 via LRO with frag_list
2. Dev A: Receives aggregated fraglist packet and flush flag set
3. Dev A: Re-enters GRO, skb_gro_receive_list() is called
4. Missing flush check allows re-aggregation despite flush flag
5. Frag_list chain becomes corrupted (loops or dangling refs)
6. Dev B: TX path calls skb_segment(), crashes on corrupted frag_list
Root cause in skb_segment():
The check at line ~4891:
if (hsize <= 0 && i >= nfrags && skb_headlen(list_skb) &&
(skb_headlen(list_skb) == len || sg)) {
When frag_list is corrupted by double aggregation, when list_skb is
a NULL pointer from skb->next, skb_headlen(list_skb) dereference
NULL/corrupted pointers occurs.
Call Trace:
skb_headlen(NULL skb)
skb_segment
tcp_gso_segment
tcp4_gso_segment
inet_gso_segment
skb_mac_gso_segment
__skb_gso_segment
skb_gso_segment
validate_xmit_skb
validate_xmit_skb_list
sch_direct_xmit
qdisc_restart
__qdisc_run
qdisc_run
net_tx_action
Fix: Add NAPI_GRO_CB(skb)->flush validation to the early-return check in
skb_gro_receive_list(), matching the defensive programming pattern of
skb_gro_receive().
Fixes: 3a1296a38d0c ("net: Support GRO/GSO fraglist chaining.")
Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
Signed-off-by: Shiming Cheng <redacted>
---
net/core/gro.c | 9 ++++++++-
1 file changed, 8 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
diff --git a/net/core/gro.c b/net/core/gro.c
index 35f2f708f010..b1573d98f3a5 100644
--- a/net/core/gro.c
+++ b/net/core/gro.c@@ -229,7 +229,14 @@ int skb_gro_receive(struct sk_buff *p, struct sk_buff *skb) int skb_gro_receive_list(struct sk_buff *p, struct sk_buff *skb) { - if (unlikely(p->len + skb->len >= 65536)) + /* + * Packets marked with NAPI_GRO_CB(skb)->flush have already gone + * through GRO/LRO processing and must not be aggregated again. + * Re-entering frag_list GRO may corrupt the frag_list chain and + * later crash during GSO segmentaiont. + */ + if (unlikely(p->len + skb->len >= 65536 || + NAPI_GRO_CB(skb)->flush)) return -E2BIG; if (!pskb_may_pull(skb, skb_gro_offset(skb))) {
--
2.45.2