CVE-2026-31415ipv6: avoid overflows in ip6_datagram_send_ctl()

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ipv6: avoid overflows in ip6_datagram_send_ctl() Yiming Qian reported : <quote> I believe I found a locally triggerable kernel bug in the IPv6 sendmsg ancillary-data path that can panic the kernel via `skb_under_panic()` (local DoS). The core issue is a mismatch between: - a 16-bit length accumulator (`struct ipv6_txoptions::opt_flen`, type `__u16`) and - a pointer to the *last* provided destination-options header (`opt->dst1opt`) when multiple `IPV6_DSTOPTS` control messages (cmsgs) are provided. - `include/net/ipv6.h`: - `struct ipv6_txoptions::opt_flen` is `__u16` (wrap possible). (lines 291-307, especially 298) - `net/ipv6/datagram.c:ip6_datagram_send_ctl()`: - Accepts repeated `IPV6_DSTOPTS` and accumulates into `opt_flen` without rejecting duplicates. (lines 909-933) - `net/ipv6/ip6_output.c:__ip6_append_data()`: - Uses `opt->opt_flen + opt->opt_nflen` to compute header sizes/headroom decisions. (lines 1448-1466, especially 1463-1465) - `net/ipv6/ip6_output.c:__ip6_make_skb()`: - Calls `ipv6_push_frag_opts()` if `opt->opt_flen` is non-zero. (lines 1930-1934) - `net/ipv6/exthdrs.c:ipv6_push_frag_opts()` / `ipv6_push_exthdr()`: - Push size comes from `ipv6_optlen(opt->dst1opt)` (based on the pointed-to header). (lines 1179-1185 and 1206-1211) 1. `opt_flen` is a 16-bit accumulator: - `include/net/ipv6.h:298` defines `__u16 opt_flen; /* after fragment hdr */`. 2. `ip6_datagram_send_ctl()` accepts *repeated* `IPV6_DSTOPTS` cmsgs and increments `opt_flen` each time: - In `net/ipv6/datagram.c:909-933`, for `IPV6_DSTOPTS`: - It computes `len = ((hdr->hdrlen + 1) << 3);` - It checks `CAP_NET_RAW` using `ns_capable(net->user_ns, CAP_NET_RAW)`. (line 922) - Then it does: - `opt->opt_flen += len;` (line 927) - `opt->dst1opt = hdr;` (line 928) There is no duplicate rejection here (unlike the legacy `IPV6_2292DSTOPTS` path which rejects duplicates at `net/ipv6/datagram.c:901-904`). If enough large `IPV6_DSTOPTS` cmsgs are provided, `opt_flen` wraps while `dst1opt` still points to a large (2048-byte) destination-options header. In the attached PoC (`poc.c`): - 32 cmsgs with `hdrlen=255` => `len = (255+1)*8 = 2048` - 1 cmsg with `hdrlen=0` => `len = 8` - Total increment: `32*2048 + 8 = 65544`, so `(__u16)opt_flen == 8` - The last cmsg is 2048 bytes, so `dst1opt` points to a 2048-byte header. 3. The transmit path sizes headers using the wrapped `opt_flen`: - In `net/ipv6/ip6_output.c:1463-1465`: - `headersize = sizeof(struct ipv6hdr) + (opt ? opt->opt_flen + opt->opt_nflen : 0) + ...;` With wrapped `opt_flen`, `headersize`/headroom decisions underestimate what will be pushed later. 4. When building the final skb, the actual push length comes from `dst1opt` and is not limited by wrapped `opt_flen`: - In `net/ipv6/ip6_output.c:1930-1934`: - `if (opt->opt_flen) proto = ipv6_push_frag_opts(skb, opt, proto);` - In `net/ipv6/exthdrs.c:1206-1211`, `ipv6_push_frag_opts()` pushes `dst1opt` via `ipv6_push_exthdr()`. - In `net/ipv6/exthdrs.c:1179-1184`, `ipv6_push_exthdr()` does: - `skb_push(skb, ipv6_optlen(opt));` - `memcpy(h, opt, ipv6_optlen(opt));` With insufficient headroom, `skb_push()` underflows and triggers `skb_under_panic()` -> `BUG()`: - `net/core/skbuff.c:2669-2675` (`skb_push()` calls `skb_under_panic()`) - `net/core/skbuff.c:207-214` (`skb_panic()` ends in `BUG()`) - The `IPV6_DSTOPTS` cmsg path requires `CAP_NET_RAW` in the target netns user namespace (`ns_capable(net->user_ns, CAP_NET_RAW)`). - Root (or any task with `CAP_NET_RAW`) can trigger this without user namespaces. - An unprivileged `uid=1000` user can trigger this if unprivileged user namespaces are enabled and it can create a userns+netns to obtain namespaced `CAP_NET_RAW` (the attached PoC does this). - Local denial of service: kernel BUG/panic (system crash). - ---truncated---

CVSS

5.5 MEDIUM (v3.1, NVD)CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Weakness (CWE)

Not given

Known exploited

Not in CISA's KEV catalog

EPSS (exploitation in the next 30 days)

Not loaded for this CVE

Assigned by

Linux

NVD analysis

Modified

Record last updated

Oct 15, 2026

First seen by InfoSec Signals

Oct 9, 2026

The CVE record on cve.org · NVD's entry

The CVE record is authoritative. Products marked “from the name” were identified from the CNA's free-text names, not a CPE, and are matched less certainly. This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.