CVE-2024-41090: tap: add missing verification for short frame
A denial-of-service (DoS) attack was found in the mlx5 driver in the Linux kernel. A KVM guest VM using virtio-net can crash the host by sending a short packet (i.e. size < ETHHLEN). The packet may traverse through vhost-net, macvtap and vlan without any validation/drop. When this packet is presented to mlx5 driver on the host side, the kernel panic happens, since mlx5core assumes the frame size is always >= ETHHLEN.
This vulnerability affects both drivers/net/tun.c and drivers/net/tap.c. CVE-2024-41090 has been assigned to the TAP side of the issue.
Reference: https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2024/07/24/4
Other sources
CVE-2024-41090 In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tap: add missing verification for short frame The cited commit missed to check against the validity of the frame length in the tapgetuserxdp() path, which could cause a corrupted skb to be sent downstack. Even before the skb is transmitted, the tapgetuserxdp()-->skbsetnetworkheader() may assume the size is more than ETHHLEN. Once transmitted, this could either cause out-of-bound access beyond the actual length, or confuse the underlayer with incorrect or inconsistent header length in the skb metadata. In the alternative path, tapgetuser() already prohibits short frame which has the length less than Ethernet header size from being transmitted. This is to drop any frame shorter than the Ethernet header size just like how tapgetuser() does. CVE: CVE-2024-41090 CVE-2024-41091 In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tun: add missing verification for short frame The cited commit missed to check against the validity of the frame length in the tunxdpone() path, which could cause a corrupted skb to be sent downstack. Even before the skb is transmitted, the tunxdpone-->ethtypetrans() may access the Ethernet header although it can be less than ETHHLEN. Once transmitted, this could either cause out-of-bound access beyond the actual length, or confuse the underlayer with incorrect or inconsistent header length in the skb metadata. In the alternative path, tungetuser() already prohibits short frame which has the length less than Ethernet header size from being transmitted for IFFTAP. This is to drop any frame shorter than the Ethernet header size just like how tungetuser() does. CVE: CVE-2024-41091
— F5
Linux Kernel is vulnerable to a denial of service, caused by missing check against the validity of the frame length in the tapgetuserxdp() path. By sending a specially crafted request, a local attacker could exploit this vulnerability to cause a denial of service condition.
— IBM
Affected Software
Remediation
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2024-41090?
CVE-2024-41090 has a high severity due to its potential to cause a denial-of-service (DoS) attack.
How do I fix CVE-2024-41090?
To fix CVE-2024-41090, update to the recommended versions of the affected Linux kernel packages or F5 products as specified in the advisory.
Which systems are affected by CVE-2024-41090?
CVE-2024-41090 affects Linux kernel versions prior to the specified updates and certain F5 BIG-IP and Traffix products.
What types of attacks can CVE-2024-41090 facilitate?
CVE-2024-41090 facilitates denial-of-service (DoS) attacks that can crash the host operating system.
Is there a workaround for CVE-2024-41090?
Currently, no specific workaround is documented for CVE-2024-41090 aside from applying the necessary updates.