GHSA-372H-FWQG-RP6X

Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-02-14 18:30 – Updated: 2026-03-17 21:31
VLAI
Details

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

virtio_net: Fix misalignment bug in struct virtnet_info

Use the new TRAILING_OVERLAP() helper to fix a misalignment bug along with the following warning:

drivers/net/virtio_net.c:429:46: warning: structure containing a flexible array member is not at the end of another structure [-Wflex-array-member-not-at-end]

This helper creates a union between a flexible-array member (FAM) and a set of members that would otherwise follow it (in this case u8 rss_hash_key_data[VIRTIO_NET_RSS_MAX_KEY_SIZE];). This overlays the trailing members (rss_hash_key_data) onto the FAM (hash_key_data) while keeping the FAM and the start of MEMBERS aligned. The static_assert() ensures this alignment remains.

Notice that due to tail padding in flexible struct virtio_net_rss_config_trailer, rss_trailer.hash_key_data (at offset 83 in struct virtnet_info) and rss_hash_key_data (at offset 84 in struct virtnet_info) are misaligned by one byte. See below:

struct virtio_net_rss_config_trailer { __le16 max_tx_vq; / 0 2 / __u8 hash_key_length; / 2 1 / __u8 hash_key_data[]; / 3 0 /

    /* size: 4, cachelines: 1, members: 3 */
    /* padding: 1 */
    /* last cacheline: 4 bytes */

};

struct virtnet_info { ... struct virtio_net_rss_config_trailer rss_trailer; / 80 4 /

    /* XXX last struct has 1 byte of padding */

    u8                         rss_hash_key_data[40]; /*    84    40 */

... / size: 832, cachelines: 13, members: 48 / / sum members: 801, holes: 8, sum holes: 31 / / paddings: 2, sum paddings: 5 / };

After changes, those members are correctly aligned at offset 795:

struct virtnet_info { ... union { struct virtio_net_rss_config_trailer rss_trailer; / 792 4 / struct { unsigned char __offset_to_hash_key_data[3]; / 792 3 / u8 rss_hash_key_data[40]; / 795 40 / }; / 792 43 / }; / 792 44 / ... / size: 840, cachelines: 14, members: 47 / / sum members: 801, holes: 8, sum holes: 35 / / padding: 4 / / paddings: 1, sum paddings: 4 / / last cacheline: 8 bytes / };

As a result, the RSS key passed to the device is shifted by 1 byte: the last byte is cut off, and instead a (possibly uninitialized) byte is added at the beginning.

As a last note struct virtio_net_rss_config_hdr *rss_hdr; is also moved to the end, since it seems those three members should stick around together. :)

Severity
5.5 (Medium)
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Show details on source website
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{
  "affected": [],
  "aliases": [
    "CVE-2026-23143"
  ],
  "database_specific": {
    "cwe_ids": [],
    "github_reviewed": false,
    "github_reviewed_at": null,
    "nvd_published_at": "2026-02-14T16:15:54Z",
    "severity": "MODERATE"
  },
  "details": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nvirtio_net: Fix misalignment bug in struct virtnet_info\n\nUse the new TRAILING_OVERLAP() helper to fix a misalignment bug\nalong with the following warning:\n\ndrivers/net/virtio_net.c:429:46: warning: structure containing a flexible array member is not at the end of another structure [-Wflex-array-member-not-at-end]\n\nThis helper creates a union between a flexible-array member (FAM)\nand a set of members that would otherwise follow it (in this case\n`u8 rss_hash_key_data[VIRTIO_NET_RSS_MAX_KEY_SIZE];`). This\noverlays the trailing members (rss_hash_key_data) onto the FAM\n(hash_key_data) while keeping the FAM and the start of MEMBERS aligned.\nThe static_assert() ensures this alignment remains.\n\nNotice that due to tail padding in flexible `struct\nvirtio_net_rss_config_trailer`, `rss_trailer.hash_key_data`\n(at offset 83 in struct virtnet_info) and `rss_hash_key_data` (at\noffset 84 in struct virtnet_info) are misaligned by one byte. See\nbelow:\n\nstruct virtio_net_rss_config_trailer {\n        __le16                     max_tx_vq;            /*     0     2 */\n        __u8                       hash_key_length;      /*     2     1 */\n        __u8                       hash_key_data[];      /*     3     0 */\n\n        /* size: 4, cachelines: 1, members: 3 */\n        /* padding: 1 */\n        /* last cacheline: 4 bytes */\n};\n\nstruct virtnet_info {\n...\n        struct virtio_net_rss_config_trailer rss_trailer; /*    80     4 */\n\n        /* XXX last struct has 1 byte of padding */\n\n        u8                         rss_hash_key_data[40]; /*    84    40 */\n...\n        /* size: 832, cachelines: 13, members: 48 */\n        /* sum members: 801, holes: 8, sum holes: 31 */\n        /* paddings: 2, sum paddings: 5 */\n};\n\nAfter changes, those members are correctly aligned at offset 795:\n\nstruct virtnet_info {\n...\n        union {\n                struct virtio_net_rss_config_trailer rss_trailer; /*   792     4 */\n                struct {\n                        unsigned char __offset_to_hash_key_data[3]; /*   792     3 */\n                        u8         rss_hash_key_data[40]; /*   795    40 */\n                };                                       /*   792    43 */\n        };                                               /*   792    44 */\n...\n        /* size: 840, cachelines: 14, members: 47 */\n        /* sum members: 801, holes: 8, sum holes: 35 */\n        /* padding: 4 */\n        /* paddings: 1, sum paddings: 4 */\n        /* last cacheline: 8 bytes */\n};\n\nAs a result, the RSS key passed to the device is shifted by 1\nbyte: the last byte is cut off, and instead a (possibly\nuninitialized) byte is added at the beginning.\n\nAs a last note `struct virtio_net_rss_config_hdr *rss_hdr;` is also\nmoved to the end, since it seems those three members should stick\naround together. :)",
  "id": "GHSA-372h-fwqg-rp6x",
  "modified": "2026-03-17T21:31:41Z",
  "published": "2026-02-14T18:30:14Z",
  "references": [
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-23143"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4156c3745f06bc197094b9ee97a9584e69ed00bf"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ae48108c2310f1dd700e0dbb655c2f1d92ed00fc"
    }
  ],
  "schema_version": "1.4.0",
  "severity": [
    {
      "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H",
      "type": "CVSS_V3"
    }
  ]
}



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