In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/sched: sfq: clamp quantum to avoid signed overflow soft lockup sfq_init() sets q->quantum = psched_mtu(qdisc_dev(sch)) (unsigned)

Overview

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

net/sched: sfq: clamp quantum to avoid signed overflow soft lockup

sfq_init() sets q->quantum = psched_mtu(qdisc_dev(sch)) (unsigned). A device with a huge MTU (e.g. dummy with max_mtu == 0 accepting MTU 2147483634) makes psched_mtu() return 0x80000000, so slot->allot = INT_MIN and INT_MIN + INT_MIN toggles between INT_MIN and 0 forever, spinning sfq_dequeue() under the qdisc lock.

Clamp the quantum to [256, 1 << 20] so the refill loop terminates. The lower bound also covers q->quantum == 0 (psched_mtu() returning 0), which spins sfq_dequeue() identically. sfq_change() already rejects a negative quantum, so only the init path was exposed.

Conditions to recreate the bug: a device whose MTU (plus hard_header_len) wraps psched_mtu() into the sign bit (e.g. a dummy device with max_mtu == 0 accepting MTU 2147483634). Requires CAP_NET_ADMIN in a user namespace.

Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.