From: Willem de Bruijn <willemdebruijn.kernel@gmail.com>
To: "Michael S. Tsirkin" <mst@redhat.com>, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Cc: "Willem de Bruijn" <willemdebruijn.kernel@gmail.com>,
"Chris Arges" <carges@cloudflare.com>,
"Björn Töpel" <bjorn@kernel.org>, "Phil Sutter" <phil@nwl.cc>,
"Jason Wang" <jasowangio@gmail.com>,
"Eugenio Pérez" <eperezma@redhat.com>,
"Xuan Zhuo" <xuanzhuo@linux.alibaba.com>,
"Andrew Lunn" <andrew+netdev@lunn.ch>,
"David S. Miller" <davem@davemloft.net>,
"Eric Dumazet" <edumazet@kernel.org>,
"Jakub Kicinski" <kuba@kernel.org>,
"Paolo Abeni" <pabeni@redhat.com>,
netdev@vger.kernel.org, virtualization@lists.linux.dev,
"Max Krasnyansky" <maxk@qualcomm.com>,
"Rusty Russell" <rusty@rustcorp.com.au>,
"Paulos Yibelo" <habte.yibelo@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [PATCH net v3 5/8] net: resolve uncommon partial checksums at ingress
Date: Tue, 20 Oct 2026 15:44:35 -0400 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <willemdebruijn.kernel.2eb449439b094@gmail.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <9c08d12b3a7819ae03ded6a154e4f908276e93d4.1792411304.git.mst@redhat.com>
Michael S. Tsirkin wrote:
> As reported first by Paulos Yibelo <habte.yibelo@gmail.com> (after which
> others, credited below, found more ways the bug can affect users) a
> virtio net header can place CHECKSUM_PARTIAL at any in-packet offset.
> If that state is retained, later checksum completion can modify the
> packet after protocol processing has made decisions from it.
>
> Let's fix that: let's validate csum_start and csum_offset and only keep
> CHECKSUM_PARTIAL when csum_start and csum_offset match a parsed TCP or
> UDP header, while handling VLAN headers, IPv4 options and IPv6 extension
> headers. Complete other non-GSO checksums immediately, before any
> protocol processing runs.
>
> We can't easily "complete the checksum" for GSO we don't recognize - GSO
> assumes knowledge of the protocol. We could segment ignoring the
> checksum then do whatever csum_start and csum_offset say, but that
> seems like an overkill for something that shouldn't happen.
>
> There's some risk here:
> - non-gso packets which can't be parsed get checksum calculated in
> software, adding performance overhead
> - gso packets which can't be parsed get dropped
>
> To mitigate the risks, the following patch will add a sysctl knob to
> bypass the resolution. This is reasonable if the setup is such that
> there is no protocol processing at all.
>
> UDP tunnel headers get the same handling on the inner header.
>
> Packets without VIRTIO_NET_HDR_F_NEEDS_CSUM are unaffected.
>
> Assisted-by: LLM
> Reported-by: Paulos Yibelo <habte.yibelo@gmail.com>
> Reported-by: Chris Arges <carges@cloudflare.com>
> Tested-by: Chris Arges <carges@cloudflare.com>
> Fixes: f43798c27684 ("tun: Allow GSO using virtio_net_hdr")
> Suggested-by: Willem de Bruijn <willemdebruijn.kernel@gmail.com>
> Signed-off-by: Michael S. Tsirkin <mst@redhat.com>
> ---
> include/linux/virtio_net.h | 272 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
> 1 file changed, 268 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/include/linux/virtio_net.h b/include/linux/virtio_net.h
> index 013c6c7e2dea..97b554ef7123 100644
> --- a/include/linux/virtio_net.h
> +++ b/include/linux/virtio_net.h
> @@ -5,7 +5,11 @@
> #include <linux/if_vlan.h>
> #include <linux/ip.h>
> #include <linux/ipv6.h>
> +#include <linux/netdevice.h>
> #include <linux/udp.h>
> +#include <net/gso.h>
> +#include <net/ip.h>
> +#include <net/ipv6.h>
> #include <net/tcp.h>
> #include <uapi/linux/tcp.h>
> #include <uapi/linux/virtio_net.h>
> @@ -48,6 +52,198 @@ static inline int virtio_net_hdr_set_proto(struct sk_buff *skb,
> return 0;
> }
>
> +/* TODO: nothing virtio specific here, move to ip.h */
> +
> +/*
> + * Pull and minimally validate the IPv4 header at @nhoff.
> + * Returns the header and stores the transport header offset in
> + * @thoff, or NULL if truncated or malformed. Only the fixed header
> + * is guaranteed linear; callers that need the options or the
> + * transport header must pull further.
> + */
> +static inline struct iphdr *virtio_net_ip4_parse(struct sk_buff *skb,
> + unsigned int nhoff,
> + unsigned int *thoff)
> +{
> + struct iphdr *iph;
> +
> + if (!pskb_may_pull(skb, nhoff + sizeof(struct iphdr)))
> + return NULL;
> +
> + iph = (struct iphdr *)(skb->data + nhoff);
> + if (iph->version != 4 ||
> + iph->ihl < sizeof(struct iphdr) / sizeof(u32))
> + return NULL;
> +
> + *thoff = nhoff + iph->ihl * sizeof(u32);
> + return iph;
> +}
> +
> +/* Where does the L3 header start, and what protocol is it?
> + * Handles Ethernet and VLAN headers; other devices use the
> + * network header offset the caller set up.
> + */
> +static inline bool
> +virtio_net_l3_start(struct sk_buff *skb, int *nhoff, __be16 *proto)
> +{
> + /* skb->dev is only guaranteed to be set since 44378d02c5aa
> + * ("net: always dissect GSO packets in
> + * __virtio_net_hdr_to_skb()"), do not crash when it is not.
> + */
> + if (WARN_ON_ONCE(!skb->dev))
> + return false;
> +
> + if (skb->dev->type == ARPHRD_ETHER) {
> + if (!pskb_may_pull(skb, ETH_HLEN))
> + return false;
> + *nhoff = ETH_HLEN;
> + *proto = eth_hdr(skb)->h_proto;
> + if (eth_type_vlan(*proto)) {
> + *proto = __vlan_get_protocol(skb, *proto, nhoff);
> + if (!*proto)
> + return false;
> + }
> + } else {
loopback uses ARPHRD_LOOPBACK, but expects Ethernet (apparently).
We can add that ARPHRD to the if condition.
> + *nhoff = skb_network_offset(skb);
> + /* An unset network header shows up as an offset
> + * outside of the packet.
> + */
> + if (*nhoff < 0 || (unsigned int)*nhoff >= skb->len)
> + return false;
> + *proto = skb->protocol;
> + if (!*proto) {
> + u8 version;
> +
> + /* A packet socket bound to ETH_P_ALL leaves the
> + * protocol unset: infer it from the IP version
> + * nibble at the network header.
> + */
> + if (!pskb_may_pull(skb, *nhoff + 1))
> + return false;
> + version = skb->data[*nhoff] >> 4;
is this endian specific? maybe just cast to iphdr
> + if (version == 4)
> + *proto = htons(ETH_P_IP);
> + else if (version == 6)
> + *proto = htons(ETH_P_IPV6);
> + }
> + }
> + return true;
> +}
> +
> +/* Walk the L3 header at @nhoff: where does its transport header
> + * start, and which protocol is it? Returns false if the header
> + * is truncated, malformed or fragmented.
> + */
> +static inline bool
> +virtio_net_l4_start(struct sk_buff *skb, unsigned int nhoff, __be16 proto,
> + unsigned int *thoff, int *ip_proto)
> +{
> + if (proto == htons(ETH_P_IP)) {
> + const struct iphdr *iph = virtio_net_ip4_parse(skb, nhoff, thoff);
> +
> + if (!iph || ip_is_fragment(iph))
> + return false;
> + *ip_proto = iph->protocol;
> + return true;
> + }
> +
> + if (proto == htons(ETH_P_IPV6)) {
> + const struct ipv6hdr *iph;
> + int flags = 0;
> +
> + if (!pskb_may_pull(skb, nhoff + sizeof(*iph)))
> + return false;
> + iph = (const void *)(skb->data + nhoff);
> + if (iph->version != 6)
> + return false;
> + *thoff = nhoff + sizeof(*iph);
> + *ip_proto = iph->nexthdr;
> + if (*ip_proto != IPPROTO_TCP && *ip_proto != IPPROTO_UDP) {
> + *thoff = nhoff;
> + *ip_proto = ipv6_find_hdr(skb, thoff, -1, NULL,
> + &flags);
> + if (*ip_proto < 0 || flags & IP6_FH_F_FRAG)
> + return false;
> + }
> + return true;
> + }
> +
> + return false;
> +}
for all this parsing: could we use flow dissection, like the
!VIRTIO_NET_HDR_F_NEEDS_CSUM case?
> +
> +/* Does checksum metadata match a known TCP or UDP header? */
> +static inline bool
> +virtio_net_csum_partial_ok_at_offset(struct sk_buff *skb, u8 hdr_gso_type,
> + unsigned int nhoff, __be16 proto)
> +{
> + unsigned int thoff;
> + int ip_proto;
> +
> + if (!virtio_net_l4_start(skb, nhoff, proto, &thoff, &ip_proto))
> + return false;
> +
> + if (skb_checksum_start_offset(skb) != thoff)
> + return false;
> +
> + switch (ip_proto) {
> + case IPPROTO_TCP:
> + if (skb->csum_offset != offsetof(struct tcphdr, check) ||
> + !pskb_may_pull(skb, thoff + sizeof(struct tcphdr)))
> + return false;
> + break;
> + case IPPROTO_UDP:
> + if (skb->csum_offset != offsetof(struct udphdr, check) ||
> + !pskb_may_pull(skb, thoff + sizeof(struct udphdr)))
> + return false;
> + break;
> + default:
> + return false;
> + }
> +
> + switch (hdr_gso_type & ~VIRTIO_NET_HDR_GSO_ECN) {
> + case VIRTIO_NET_HDR_GSO_NONE:
> + return true;
> + case VIRTIO_NET_HDR_GSO_TCPV4:
> + return proto == htons(ETH_P_IP) && ip_proto == IPPROTO_TCP;
> + case VIRTIO_NET_HDR_GSO_TCPV6:
> + return proto == htons(ETH_P_IPV6) && ip_proto == IPPROTO_TCP;
> + case VIRTIO_NET_HDR_GSO_UDP:
> + case VIRTIO_NET_HDR_GSO_UDP_L4:
> + return ip_proto == IPPROTO_UDP;
> + default:
> + return false;
> + }
> +}
> +
> +static inline bool
> +virtio_net_csum_partial_ok(struct sk_buff *skb, u8 hdr_gso_type)
> +{
> + int nhoff;
> + __be16 proto;
> +
> + if (!virtio_net_l3_start(skb, &nhoff, &proto))
> + return false;
> +
> + return virtio_net_csum_partial_ok_at_offset(skb, hdr_gso_type, nhoff,
> + proto);
> +}
> +
> +/*
> + * Handle a packet whose checksum metadata does not match the packet:
> + * GSO packets are dropped, as segmentation needs one checksum per
> + * segment; others are completed in software.
> + *
> + * Return 1 if the checksum was completed in software, else a negative
> + * errno.
> + */
> +static inline int virtio_net_resolve_csum_partial_mismatch(struct sk_buff *skb)
> +{
> + if (skb_is_gso(skb))
> + return -EINVAL;
> +
> + return skb_checksum_help(skb) ?: 1;
> +}
> +
> static inline int __virtio_net_hdr_to_skb(struct sk_buff *skb,
> const struct virtio_net_hdr *hdr,
> bool little_endian, u8 hdr_gso_type)
> @@ -194,11 +390,36 @@ static inline int __virtio_net_hdr_to_skb(struct sk_buff *skb,
> return 0;
> }
>
> +/*
> + * Return value:
> + * 0 - success
> + * >0 - checksum was completed in software (slow path)
> + * <0 - failure
> + */
> static inline int virtio_net_hdr_to_skb(struct sk_buff *skb,
> const struct virtio_net_hdr *hdr,
> bool little_endian)
> {
> - return __virtio_net_hdr_to_skb(skb, hdr, little_endian, hdr->gso_type);
> + typeof(skb->transport_header) old_transport = skb->transport_header;
> + int ret = __virtio_net_hdr_to_skb(skb, hdr, little_endian,
> + hdr->gso_type);
> +
> + if (ret < 0)
> + return ret;
> +
> + if (skb->ip_summed != CHECKSUM_PARTIAL ||
> + virtio_net_csum_partial_ok(skb, hdr->gso_type))
> + return 0;
> +
> + /*
> + * Here we do not trust the checksum metadata.
> + * __virtio_net_hdr_to_skb set the transport header to csum_start
> + * from virtio hdr, restore it to a known good value.
> + */
> + skb->transport_header = old_transport;
> + ret = virtio_net_resolve_csum_partial_mismatch(skb);
> +
> + return ret;
can return virtio_net_resolve_csum_partial_mismatch(skb)
> }
>
> /* This function must be called after virtio_net_hdr_from_skb(). */
> @@ -282,6 +503,35 @@ static inline unsigned int virtio_l3min(bool is_ipv6)
> return is_ipv6 ? sizeof(struct ipv6hdr) : sizeof(struct iphdr);
> }
>
> +/* Do the tunnel offsets match the outer headers in the frame?
> + * The L3 header the tunnel claims must be the one the frame
> + * carries, with UDP following it at @outer_th.
> + */
> +static inline bool
> +virtio_net_tnl_offsets_ok(struct sk_buff *skb, bool outer_isv6,
> + unsigned int outer_th)
> +{
> + int nhoff;
> + __be16 proto;
> + unsigned int thoff;
> + int ip_proto;
> +
> + if (!virtio_net_l3_start(skb, &nhoff, &proto))
> + return false;
> + if (outer_isv6 != (proto == htons(ETH_P_IPV6)))
> + return false;
> + if (!virtio_net_l4_start(skb, nhoff, proto, &thoff, &ip_proto))
> + return false;
> +
> + return ip_proto == IPPROTO_UDP && outer_th == thoff;
> +}
> +
> +/*
> + * Return value:
> + * 0 - success
> + * >0 - checksum was completed in software (slow path)
> + * <0 - failure
> + */
> static inline int
> virtio_net_hdr_tnl_to_skb(struct sk_buff *skb,
> const struct virtio_net_hdr_v1_hash_tunnel *vhdr,
> @@ -293,6 +543,7 @@ virtio_net_hdr_tnl_to_skb(struct sk_buff *skb,
> unsigned int inner_nh, outer_th, inner_th;
> unsigned int inner_l3min, outer_l3min;
> u8 gso_inner_type, gso_tunnel_type;
> + __be16 inner_proto;
> bool outer_isv6, inner_isv6;
> int ret;
>
> @@ -335,9 +586,12 @@ virtio_net_hdr_tnl_to_skb(struct sk_buff *skb,
> /* Let the basic parsing deal with plain GSO features. */
> ret = __virtio_net_hdr_to_skb(skb, hdr, true,
> hdr->gso_type & ~gso_tunnel_type);
> - if (ret)
> + if (ret < 0)
> return ret;
>
> + if (!virtio_net_tnl_offsets_ok(skb, outer_isv6, outer_th))
> + return -EINVAL;
> +
> /* In case of USO, the inner protocol is still unknown and
> * `inner_isv6` is just a guess, additional parsing is needed.
> * The previous validation ensures that accessing an ipv4 inner
> @@ -353,7 +607,7 @@ virtio_net_hdr_tnl_to_skb(struct sk_buff *skb,
> }
>
> skb_set_inner_protocol(skb, inner_isv6 ? htons(ETH_P_IPV6) :
> - htons(ETH_P_IP));
> + htons(ETH_P_IP));
unintentional indentation change?
> if (hdr->flags & VIRTIO_NET_HDR_F_UDP_TUNNEL_CSUM) {
> if (!tnl_csum_negotiated)
> return -EINVAL;
> @@ -368,7 +622,17 @@ virtio_net_hdr_tnl_to_skb(struct sk_buff *skb,
> skb->inner_mac_header = inner_nh + skb_headroom(skb);
> skb->transport_header = outer_th + skb_headroom(skb);
> skb->encapsulation = 1;
> - return 0;
> +
> + /*
> + * We know VIRTIO_NET_HDR_F_NEEDS_CSUM was set so __virtio_net_hdr_to_skb
> + * set CHECKSUM_PARTIAL.
> + */
> + inner_proto = inner_isv6 ? htons(ETH_P_IPV6) : htons(ETH_P_IP);
> + if (virtio_net_csum_partial_ok_at_offset(skb, gso_inner_type, inner_nh,
> + inner_proto))
> + return 0;
> +
> + return virtio_net_resolve_csum_partial_mismatch(skb);
GSO is implied when reaching this far, so can just return -EINVAL. And as
only one caller of the function than remains, can avoid the helper.
> }
>
> /* Checksum-related fields validation for the driver */
> --
> MST
>
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2026-10-20 19:44 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 26+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2026-10-19 12:03 [PATCH net v3 0/8] more virtio-net csum hardening Michael S. Tsirkin
2026-10-19 12:03 ` [PATCH net v3 1/8] net: account for ingress-resolved virtio net hdr state Michael S. Tsirkin
2026-10-20 19:27 ` Willem de Bruijn
2026-10-20 19:38 ` Michael S. Tsirkin
2026-10-20 20:02 ` Willem de Bruijn
2026-10-20 20:09 ` Michael S. Tsirkin
2026-10-19 12:03 ` [PATCH net v3 2/8] um: vector: honor virtio net hdr conversion failures Michael S. Tsirkin
2026-10-20 19:28 ` Willem de Bruijn
2026-10-19 12:03 ` [PATCH net v3 3/8] um: vector: trim skbs before verifying the header Michael S. Tsirkin
2026-10-19 12:03 ` [PATCH net v3 4/8] virtio_net: parse tunnel csum_start little-endian Michael S. Tsirkin
2026-10-19 12:03 ` [PATCH net v3 5/8] net: resolve uncommon partial checksums at ingress Michael S. Tsirkin
2026-10-20 19:44 ` Willem de Bruijn [this message]
2026-10-20 21:49 ` Michael S. Tsirkin
2026-10-19 12:03 ` [PATCH net v3 6/8] net: add a sysctl to opt out of virtio net hdr checksum validation Michael S. Tsirkin
2026-10-19 14:19 ` Björn Töpel
2026-10-20 14:04 ` Michael S. Tsirkin
2026-10-20 19:54 ` Willem de Bruijn
2026-10-20 20:01 ` Michael S. Tsirkin
2026-10-20 20:19 ` Willem de Bruijn
2026-10-20 20:22 ` Michael S. Tsirkin
2026-10-20 20:56 ` Michael S. Tsirkin
2026-10-19 12:03 ` [PATCH net v3 7/8] net: add ip4_parse() Michael S. Tsirkin
2026-10-19 12:03 ` [PATCH net v3 8/8] virtio_net: cleanup protocol calculation Michael S. Tsirkin
2026-10-19 12:09 ` [PATCH net v3 0/8] more virtio-net csum hardening netdev-bot+sinfo
2026-10-19 12:21 ` Michael S. Tsirkin
2026-10-19 16:51 ` Chris Arges
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