ipv4: reject undersized MTUs in ip_do_fragment()
ip_do_fragment() subtracts the IPv4 header length from the effective
MTU and passes the resulting payload MTU to ip_frag_next().
If the effective MTU is smaller than hlen + 8, ip_frag_next() rounds
the fragment payload length down to zero. The fragmentation state then
never makes forward progress: state->left, state->ptr and state->offset
stay unchanged while ip_do_fragment() keeps allocating and transmitting
header-only fragments until the softlockup detector fires.
This is reproducible with a route installed using "mtu lock 20", but it
is also reproducible without route MTU lock, for example by forwarding a
packet to a device whose MTU is 20.
Fix it in ip_do_fragment() by rejecting mtu < hlen + 8 with -EMSGSIZE,
matching the existing IPv6 fragmentation check.
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Fri, 04 Sep 2026 17:15:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| Weaknesses | CWE-674 |
Fri, 04 Sep 2026 15:30:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| Description | In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ipv4: reject undersized MTUs in ip_do_fragment() ip_do_fragment() subtracts the IPv4 header length from the effective MTU and passes the resulting payload MTU to ip_frag_next(). If the effective MTU is smaller than hlen + 8, ip_frag_next() rounds the fragment payload length down to zero. The fragmentation state then never makes forward progress: state->left, state->ptr and state->offset stay unchanged while ip_do_fragment() keeps allocating and transmitting header-only fragments until the softlockup detector fires. This is reproducible with a route installed using "mtu lock 20", but it is also reproducible without route MTU lock, for example by forwarding a packet to a device whose MTU is 20. Fix it in ip_do_fragment() by rejecting mtu < hlen + 8 with -EMSGSIZE, matching the existing IPv6 fragmentation check. | |
| Title | ipv4: reject undersized MTUs in ip_do_fragment() | |
| 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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Status: PUBLISHED
Assigner: Linux
Published:
Updated: 2026-09-04T15:13:05.814Z
Reserved: 2026-08-26T14:34:25.793Z
Link: CVE-2026-80793
No data.
Status : Received
Published: 2026-09-04T16:18:05.613
Modified: 2026-09-04T16:18:05.613
Link: CVE-2026-80793
No data.
OpenCVE Enrichment
Updated: 2026-09-04T18:45:02Z