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

net: openvswitch: fix middle attribute validation in push_nsh() action

The push_nsh() action structure looks like this:

OVS_ACTION_ATTR_PUSH_NSH(OVS_KEY_ATTR_NSH(OVS_NSH_KEY_ATTR_BASE,...))

The outermost OVS_ACTION_ATTR_PUSH_NSH attribute is OK'ed by the
nla_for_each_nested() inside __ovs_nla_copy_actions(). The innermost
OVS_NSH_KEY_ATTR_BASE/MD1/MD2 are OK'ed by the nla_for_each_nested()
inside nsh_key_put_from_nlattr(). But nothing checks if the attribute
in the middle is OK. We don't even check that this attribute is the
OVS_KEY_ATTR_NSH. We just do a double unwrap with a pair of nla_data()
calls - first time directly while calling validate_push_nsh() and the
second time as part of the nla_for_each_nested() macro, which isn't
safe, potentially causing invalid memory access if the size of this
attribute is incorrect. The failure may not be noticed during
validation due to larger netlink buffer, but cause trouble later during
action execution where the buffer is allocated exactly to the size:

BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in nsh_hdr_from_nlattr+0x1dd/0x6a0 [openvswitch]
Read of size 184 at addr ffff88816459a634 by task a.out/22624

CPU: 8 UID: 0 PID: 22624 6.18.0-rc7+ #115 PREEMPT(voluntary)
Call Trace:
<TASK>
dump_stack_lvl+0x51/0x70
print_address_description.constprop.0+0x2c/0x390
kasan_report+0xdd/0x110
kasan_check_range+0x35/0x1b0
__asan_memcpy+0x20/0x60
nsh_hdr_from_nlattr+0x1dd/0x6a0 [openvswitch]
push_nsh+0x82/0x120 [openvswitch]
do_execute_actions+0x1405/0x2840 [openvswitch]
ovs_execute_actions+0xd5/0x3b0 [openvswitch]
ovs_packet_cmd_execute+0x949/0xdb0 [openvswitch]
genl_family_rcv_msg_doit+0x1d6/0x2b0
genl_family_rcv_msg+0x336/0x580
genl_rcv_msg+0x9f/0x130
netlink_rcv_skb+0x11f/0x370
genl_rcv+0x24/0x40
netlink_unicast+0x73e/0xaa0
netlink_sendmsg+0x744/0xbf0
__sys_sendto+0x3d6/0x450
do_syscall_64+0x79/0x2c0
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e
</TASK>

Let's add some checks that the attribute is properly sized and it's
the only one attribute inside the action. Technically, there is no
real reason for OVS_KEY_ATTR_NSH to be there, as we know that we're
pushing an NSH header already, it just creates extra nesting, but
that's how uAPI works today. So, keeping as it is.
Advisories

No advisories yet.

Fixes

Solution

No solution given by the vendor.


Workaround

No workaround given by the vendor.

History

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 15:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: openvswitch: fix middle attribute validation in push_nsh() action The push_nsh() action structure looks like this: OVS_ACTION_ATTR_PUSH_NSH(OVS_KEY_ATTR_NSH(OVS_NSH_KEY_ATTR_BASE,...)) The outermost OVS_ACTION_ATTR_PUSH_NSH attribute is OK'ed by the nla_for_each_nested() inside __ovs_nla_copy_actions(). The innermost OVS_NSH_KEY_ATTR_BASE/MD1/MD2 are OK'ed by the nla_for_each_nested() inside nsh_key_put_from_nlattr(). But nothing checks if the attribute in the middle is OK. We don't even check that this attribute is the OVS_KEY_ATTR_NSH. We just do a double unwrap with a pair of nla_data() calls - first time directly while calling validate_push_nsh() and the second time as part of the nla_for_each_nested() macro, which isn't safe, potentially causing invalid memory access if the size of this attribute is incorrect. The failure may not be noticed during validation due to larger netlink buffer, but cause trouble later during action execution where the buffer is allocated exactly to the size: BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in nsh_hdr_from_nlattr+0x1dd/0x6a0 [openvswitch] Read of size 184 at addr ffff88816459a634 by task a.out/22624 CPU: 8 UID: 0 PID: 22624 6.18.0-rc7+ #115 PREEMPT(voluntary) Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x51/0x70 print_address_description.constprop.0+0x2c/0x390 kasan_report+0xdd/0x110 kasan_check_range+0x35/0x1b0 __asan_memcpy+0x20/0x60 nsh_hdr_from_nlattr+0x1dd/0x6a0 [openvswitch] push_nsh+0x82/0x120 [openvswitch] do_execute_actions+0x1405/0x2840 [openvswitch] ovs_execute_actions+0xd5/0x3b0 [openvswitch] ovs_packet_cmd_execute+0x949/0xdb0 [openvswitch] genl_family_rcv_msg_doit+0x1d6/0x2b0 genl_family_rcv_msg+0x336/0x580 genl_rcv_msg+0x9f/0x130 netlink_rcv_skb+0x11f/0x370 genl_rcv+0x24/0x40 netlink_unicast+0x73e/0xaa0 netlink_sendmsg+0x744/0xbf0 __sys_sendto+0x3d6/0x450 do_syscall_64+0x79/0x2c0 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e </TASK> Let's add some checks that the attribute is properly sized and it's the only one attribute inside the action. Technically, there is no real reason for OVS_KEY_ATTR_NSH to be there, as we know that we're pushing an NSH header already, it just creates extra nesting, but that's how uAPI works today. So, keeping as it is.
Title net: openvswitch: fix middle attribute validation in push_nsh() action
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References

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cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2026-01-13T15:28:58.930Z

Reserved: 2025-12-24T10:30:51.036Z

Link: CVE-2025-68785

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Received

Published: 2026-01-13T16:15:58.227

Modified: 2026-01-13T16:15:58.227

Link: CVE-2025-68785

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

No data.

Weaknesses

No weakness.