CVE-2023-53517

tipc: do not update mtu if msg_max is too small in mtu negotiation

Published Oct 1, 2025 CVSS 3.1 · 9.8 Critical EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

tipc: do not update mtu if msg_max is too small in mtu negotiation

When doing link mtu negotiation, a malicious peer may send Activate msg
with a very small mtu, e.g. 4 in Shuang's testing, without checking for
the minimum mtu, l->mtu will be set to 4 in tipc_link_proto_rcv(), then
n->links[bearer_id].mtu is set to 4294967228, which is a overflow of
'4 - INT_H_SIZE - EMSG_OVERHEAD' in tipc_link_mss().

With tipc_link.mtu = 4, tipc_link_xmit() kept printing the warning:

tipc: Too large msg, purging xmit list 1 5 0 40 4!
tipc: Too large msg, purging xmit list 1 15 0 60 4!

And with tipc_link_entry.mtu 4294967228, a huge skb was allocated in
named_distribute(), and when purging it in tipc_link_xmit(), a crash
was even caused:

general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address 0x2100001011000dd: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP PTI
CPU: 0 PID: 0 Comm: swapper/0 Kdump: loaded Not tainted 6.3.0.neta #19
RIP: 0010:kfree_skb_list_reason+0x7e/0x1f0
Call Trace:
<IRQ>
skb_release_data+0xf9/0x1d0
kfree_skb_reason+0x40/0x100
tipc_link_xmit+0x57a/0x740 [tipc]
tipc_node_xmit+0x16c/0x5c0 [tipc]
tipc_named_node_up+0x27f/0x2c0 [tipc]
tipc_node_write_unlock+0x149/0x170 [tipc]
tipc_rcv+0x608/0x740 [tipc]
tipc_udp_recv+0xdc/0x1f0 [tipc]
udp_queue_rcv_one_skb+0x33e/0x620
udp_unicast_rcv_skb.isra.72+0x75/0x90
__udp4_lib_rcv+0x56d/0xc20
ip_protocol_deliver_rcu+0x100/0x2d0

This patch fixes it by checking the new mtu against tipc_bearer_min_mtu(),
and not updating mtu if it is too small.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
EUVD EUVD EUVD-2025-31881
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'yes', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

cvssV3_1

{'score': 9.8, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses NVD-CWE-noinfo
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.4:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.4:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
Type Values Removed Values Added
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

threat_severity

Moderate

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tipc: do not update mtu if msg_max is too small in mtu negotiation When doing link mtu negotiation, a malicious peer may send Activate msg with a very small mtu, e.g. 4 in Shuang's testing, without checking for the minimum mtu, l->mtu will be set to 4 in tipc_link_proto_rcv(), then n->links[bearer_id].mtu is set to 4294967228, which is a overflow of '4 - INT_H_SIZE - EMSG_OVERHEAD' in tipc_link_mss(). With tipc_link.mtu = 4, tipc_link_xmit() kept printing the warning: tipc: Too large msg, purging xmit list 1 5 0 40 4! tipc: Too large msg, purging xmit list 1 15 0 60 4! And with tipc_link_entry.mtu 4294967228, a huge skb was allocated in named_distribute(), and when purging it in tipc_link_xmit(), a crash was even caused: general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address 0x2100001011000dd: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP PTI CPU: 0 PID: 0 Comm: swapper/0 Kdump: loaded Not tainted 6.3.0.neta #19 RIP: 0010:kfree_skb_list_reason+0x7e/0x1f0 Call Trace: <IRQ> skb_release_data+0xf9/0x1d0 kfree_skb_reason+0x40/0x100 tipc_link_xmit+0x57a/0x740 [tipc] tipc_node_xmit+0x16c/0x5c0 [tipc] tipc_named_node_up+0x27f/0x2c0 [tipc] tipc_node_write_unlock+0x149/0x170 [tipc] tipc_rcv+0x608/0x740 [tipc] tipc_udp_recv+0xdc/0x1f0 [tipc] udp_queue_rcv_one_skb+0x33e/0x620 udp_unicast_rcv_skb.isra.72+0x75/0x90 __udp4_lib_rcv+0x56d/0xc20 ip_protocol_deliver_rcu+0x100/0x2d0 This patch fixes it by checking the new mtu against tipc_bearer_min_mtu(), and not updating mtu if it is too small.
Title tipc: do not update mtu if msg_max is too small in mtu negotiation
References
Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
Linux
Published
Updated
Oct 15, 2026, 9:41 PM
Reserved
Oct 1, 2025, 11:39 AM
Status
Modified
Published
Oct 1, 2025, 12:15 PM
Modified
Oct 15, 2026, 10:17 PM
Severity
Moderate
Public date
Oct 1, 2025, 12:00 AM