CVE-2023-53109
kernel: net: tunnels: annotate lockless accesses to dev->needed_headroom
Severity
ModerateRed Hat Product Security
CVSS 3.1
Review impact separately from score.
Published · May 2, 2025
Updated · June 30, 2026
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
net: tunnels: annotate lockless accesses to dev->needed_headroom
IP tunnels can apparently update dev->needed_headroom in their xmit path.
This patch takes care of three tunnels xmit, and also the core LL_RESERVED_SPACE() and LL_RESERVED_SPACE_EXTRA() helpers.
More changes might be needed for completeness.
BUG: KCSAN: data-race in ip_tunnel_xmit / ip_tunnel_xmit
read to 0xffff88815b9da0ec of 2 bytes by task 888 on cpu 1: ip_tunnel_xmit+0x1270/0x1730 net/ipv4/ip_tunnel.c:803 __gre_xmit net/ipv4/ip_gre.c:469 [inline] ipgre_xmit+0x516/0x570 net/ipv4/ip_gre.c:661 __netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4881 [inline] netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4895 [inline] xmit_one net/core/dev.c:3580 [inline] dev_hard_start_xmit+0x127/0x400 net/core/dev.c:3596 __dev_queue_xmit+0x1007/0x1eb0 net/core/dev.c:4246 dev_queue_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:3051 [inline] neigh_direct_output+0x17/0x20 net/core/neighbour.c:1623 neigh_output include/net/neighbour.h:546 [inline] ip_finish_output2+0x740/0x840 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:228 ip_finish_output+0xf4/0x240 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:316 NF_HOOK_COND include/linux/netfilter.h:291 [inline] ip_output+0xe5/0x1b0 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:430 dst_output include/net/dst.h:444 [inline] ip_local_out+0x64/0x80 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:126 iptunnel_xmit+0x34a/0x4b0 net/ipv4/ip_tunnel_core.c:82 ip_tunnel_xmit+0x1451/0x1730 net/ipv4/ip_tunnel.c:813 __gre_xmit net/ipv4/ip_gre.c:469 [inline] ipgre_xmit+0x516/0x570 net/ipv4/ip_gre.c:661 __netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4881 [inline] netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4895 [inline] xmit_one net/core/dev.c:3580 [inline] dev_hard_start_xmit+0x127/0x400 net/core/dev.c:3596 __dev_queue_xmit+0x1007/0x1eb0 net/core/dev.c:4246 dev_queue_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:3051 [inline] neigh_direct_output+0x17/0x20 net/core/neighbour.c:1623 neigh_output include/net/neighbour.h:546 [inline] ip_finish_output2+0x740/0x840 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:228 ip_finish_output+0xf4/0x240 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:316 NF_HOOK_COND include/linux/netfilter.h:291 [inline] ip_output+0xe5/0x1b0 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:430 dst_output include/net/dst.h:444 [inline] ip_local_out+0x64/0x80 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:126 iptunnel_xmit+0x34a/0x4b0 net/ipv4/ip_tunnel_core.c:82 ip_tunnel_xmit+0x1451/0x1730 net/ipv4/ip_tunnel.c:813 __gre_xmit net/ipv4/ip_gre.c:469 [inline] ipgre_xmit+0x516/0x570 net/ipv4/ip_gre.c:661 __netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4881 [inline] netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4895 [inline] xmit_one net/core/dev.c:3580 [inline] dev_hard_start_xmit+0x127/0x400 net/core/dev.c:3596 __dev_queue_xmit+0x1007/0x1eb0 net/core/dev.c:4246 dev_queue_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:3051 [inline] neigh_direct_output+0x17/0x20 net/core/neighbour.c:1623 neigh_output include/net/neighbour.h:546 [inline] ip_finish_output2+0x740/0x840 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:228 ip_finish_output+0xf4/0x240 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:316 NF_HOOK_COND include/linux/netfilter.h:291 [inline] ip_output+0xe5/0x1b0 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:430 dst_output include/net/dst.h:444 [inline] ip_local_out+0x64/0x80 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:126 iptunnel_xmit+0x34a/0x4b0 net/ipv4/ip_tunnel_core.c:82 ip_tunnel_xmit+0x1451/0x1730 net/ipv4/ip_tunnel.c:813 __gre_xmit net/ipv4/ip_gre.c:469 [inline] ipgre_xmit+0x516/0x570 net/ipv4/ip_gre.c:661 __netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4881 [inline] netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4895 [inline] xmit_one net/core/dev.c:3580 [inline] dev_hard_start_xmit+0x127/0x400 net/core/dev.c:3596 __dev_queue_xmit+0x1007/0x1eb0 net/core/dev.c:4246 dev_queue_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:3051 [inline] neigh_direct_output+0x17/0x20 net/core/neighbour.c:1623 neigh_output include/net/neighbour.h:546 [inline] ip_finish_output2+0x740/0x840 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:228 ip_finish_output+0xf4/0x240 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:316 NF_HOOK_COND include/linux/netfilter.h:291 [inline] ip_output+0xe5/0x1b0 net/i ---truncated---
Statement
Fixes a race condition when multiple tunnels access dev->needed_headroom, potentially leading to kernel instability under high parallel traffic. Not exploitable by unprivileged users. Requires CAP_NET_ADMIN and extreme concurrency to manifest. Only availability impact only.
CVSS score applicability
The CVSS score(s) listed for this vulnerability do not reflect the associated product's status, and are included for informational purposes to better understand the severity of this vulnerability.
Mitigation
No mitigation is specified in collected source.
CVSS / CWE
CVSS 3.1 · 4.4CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CWE not specified