Re: [PATCH net-next v2 5/7] net: add a sysctl to opt out of virtio net hdr checksum validation
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From: Willem de Bruijn <willemdebruijn.kernel@gmail.com>
Date: 2026-10-15 17:50:57
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linux-doc, lkml, virtualization
Michael S. Tsirkin wrote:
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The ingress validation as implemented by the previous patch is stricter than what it replaced: GSO packets whose checksum metadata matches no transport header are dropped, and non-GSO ones get their checksum completed in place. Such packets used to pass with the metadata unvalidated, and with no overhead. I judge that this should not affect any deployments, but there is still some risk that it does. In case a deployment depends on them anyway, provide a per-netns switch to get the old behavior back: echo 0 > /proc/sys/net/core/virtio_net_hdr_csum_check The default is validating. Assisted-by: LLM Signed-off-by: Michael S. Tsirkin <mst@redhat.com> --- Documentation/admin-guide/sysctl/net.rst | 15 +++++++ include/linux/virtio_net.h | 23 ++++++++++ include/net/netns/core.h | 1 + net/core/dev.c | 6 +++ net/core/net_namespace.c | 1 + net/core/sysctl_net_core.c | 54 ++++++++++++++++++++++++ 6 files changed, 100 insertions(+)diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/sysctl/net.rst b/Documentation/admin-guide/sysctl/net.rst index e586e17fc7a5..7f230929c37e 100644 --- a/Documentation/admin-guide/sysctl/net.rst +++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/sysctl/net.rst@@ -246,6 +246,21 @@ processes are dropped unless socket option SOF_TIMESTAMPING_OPT_TSONLY is set. Default: 1 (on) +virtio_net_hdr_csum_check +-------------------------
Make more generic, virtio_net_hdr_validate? In case we add more validation in the future (as we have in the past), without having to introduce multiple such knobs.
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+ +When processing packets with a virtio net header (through tun, tap, a +packet socket or a virtio network device) that request checksum offload +(VIRTIO_NET_HDR_F_NEEDS_CSUM), validate the packet: complete the checksum +in software, or drop the packet where the header does not match it. + +When disabled, the header is trusted not to corrupt the packet, and the +checksum is offloaded to hardware (or not verified if it never reaches +hardware). This is only safe if no protocol is processing the packets. + +Default: 1 (on) + + wmem_default ------------diff --git a/include/linux/virtio_net.h b/include/linux/virtio_net.h index 357115ff0ec2..aa2f8ac4657c 100644 --- a/include/linux/virtio_net.h +++ b/include/linux/virtio_net.h@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ #include <linux/if_vlan.h> #include <linux/ip.h> #include <linux/ipv6.h> +#include <linux/jump_label.h> #include <linux/netdevice.h> #include <linux/udp.h> #include <net/gso.h>@@ -78,6 +79,19 @@ static inline struct iphdr *virtio_net_ip4_parse(struct sk_buff *skb, *thoff = nhoff + iph->ihl * sizeof(u32); return iph; } +/* Defined in net/core/dev.c, enabled while any network namespace + * has net.core.virtio_net_hdr_csum_check set to 0. + */
Should this be a global sysctl, rather than per netns? Even if per-netns, most likely do not want it writable by netns root with user namespaces. That is the equivalent of ns_capable(CAP_NET_RAW), which is the cause of many crashes due to bad packets ingested by, e.g., a packet socket. A global sysctl also allows using proc_do_static_key and avoids the custom logic in virtio_net_hdr_csum_check_sysctl.
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/* Where does the L3 header start, and what protocol is it? * Handles Ethernet and VLAN headers; other devices use the@@ -152,6 +166,12 @@ virtio_net_csum_partial_ok_at_offset(struct sk_buff *skb, u8 hdr_gso_type, unsigned int thoff; int ip_proto; + /* Failsafe: a namespace opted out of the validation, + * trust the checksum metadata as before. + */
nit: as before, imho the code here is clear and comment unnecessary.
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+ if (virtio_net_hdr_csum_check_disabled(skb)) + return true; + if (!virtio_net_l4_start(skb, nhoff, proto, &thoff, &ip_proto)) return false;@@ -483,6 +503,9 @@ virtio_net_tnl_offsets_ok(struct sk_buff *skb, bool outer_isv6, unsigned int thoff; int ip_proto; + if (virtio_net_hdr_csum_check_disabled(skb)) + return true; + if (!virtio_net_l3_start(skb, &nhoff, &proto)) return false; if (outer_isv6 != (proto == htons(ETH_P_IPV6)))
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+/* Defined in net/core/dev.c, declared for the gate in + * include/linux/virtio_net.h. + */ +DECLARE_STATIC_KEY_FALSE(virtio_net_hdr_csum_check_disabled_key); + +/* + * Protects changes to virtio_net_hdr_csum_check_disabled_key and each + * net->core.sysctl_virtio_net_hdr_csum_check. Readers don't use a lock. + */ +static DEFINE_MUTEX(virtio_net_hdr_csum_check_mutex); + +static int virtio_net_hdr_csum_check_sysctl(const struct ctl_table *table, + int write, void *buffer, + size_t *lenp, loff_t *ppos) +{ + struct net *net = (struct net *)table->data; + /* checkpatch warns but this can't be const: tmp.data is set below */ + struct ctl_table tmp = *table; + u8 old; + int ret; + + /* + * Make sure virtio_net_hdr_csum_check_disabled_key counts zero values of + * net->core.sysctl_virtio_net_hdr_csum_check. + */ + mutex_lock(&virtio_net_hdr_csum_check_mutex); + + old = net->core.sysctl_virtio_net_hdr_csum_check; + tmp.data = &net->core.sysctl_virtio_net_hdr_csum_check; + ret = proc_dou8vec_minmax(&tmp, write, buffer, lenp, ppos); + if (write && !ret && old != net->core.sysctl_virtio_net_hdr_csum_check) { + if (net->core.sysctl_virtio_net_hdr_csum_check) + static_branch_dec(&virtio_net_hdr_csum_check_disabled_key); + else + static_branch_inc(&virtio_net_hdr_csum_check_disabled_key); + } + + mutex_unlock(&virtio_net_hdr_csum_check_mutex); + + return ret; +} + static const struct ctl_table netns_core_table[] = { #if IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_RPS) {@@ -737,6 +780,15 @@ static const struct ctl_table netns_core_table[] = { .extra1 = SYSCTL_ZERO, .extra2 = SYSCTL_ONE }, + { + .procname = "virtio_net_hdr_csum_check", + .data = &init_net, + .maxlen = sizeof(u8), + .mode = 0644, + .proc_handler = virtio_net_hdr_csum_check_sysctl, + .extra1 = SYSCTL_ZERO, + .extra2 = SYSCTL_ONE + }, /* sysctl_core_net_init() will set the values after this * to readonly in network namespaces */@@ -841,6 +893,8 @@ static __net_exit void sysctl_core_net_exit(struct net *net) tbl = net->core.sysctl_hdr->ctl_table_arg; unregister_net_sysctl_table(net->core.sysctl_hdr); BUG_ON(tbl == netns_core_table); + if (!net->core.sysctl_virtio_net_hdr_csum_check) + static_branch_dec(&virtio_net_hdr_csum_check_disabled_key); #if IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_RPS) kfree(net->core.rps_default_mask); #endif-- MST