CVE-2023-54262

net/mlx5e: Don't clone flow post action attributes second time

Published Dec 30, 2025 CVSS 3.1 · 8.8 High EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

net/mlx5e: Don't clone flow post action attributes second time

The code already clones post action attributes in
mlx5e_clone_flow_attr_for_post_act(). Creating another copy in
mlx5e_tc_post_act_add() is a erroneous leftover from original
implementation. Instead, assign handle->attribute to post_attr provided by
the caller. Note that cloning the attribute second time is not just
wasteful but also causes issues like second copy not being properly updated
in neigh update code which leads to following use-after-free:

Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in mlx5_cmd_set_fte+0x200d/0x24c0 [mlx5_core]
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: kasan_report+0xbb/0x1a0
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: kasan_save_stack+0x1e/0x40
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: kasan_set_track+0x21/0x30
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: __kasan_kmalloc+0x7a/0x90
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: kasan_save_stack+0x1e/0x40
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: kasan_set_track+0x21/0x30
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: kasan_save_free_info+0x2a/0x40
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: ____kasan_slab_free+0x11a/0x1b0
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: page dumped because: kasan: bad access detected
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: mlx5_core 0000:08:00.0: mlx5_cmd_out_err:803:(pid 8833): SET_FLOW_TABLE_ENTRY(0x936) op_mod(0x0) failed, status bad resource state(0x9), syndrome (0xf2ff71), err(-22)
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: mlx5_core 0000:08:00.0 enp8s0f0: Failed to add post action rule
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: mlx5_core 0000:08:00.0: mlx5e_tc_encap_flows_add:190:(pid 8833): Failed to update flow post acts, -22
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: Call Trace:
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: <TASK>
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: dump_stack_lvl+0x57/0x7d
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: print_report+0x170/0x471
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: ? mlx5_cmd_set_fte+0x200d/0x24c0 [mlx5_core]
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: kasan_report+0xbb/0x1a0
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: ? mlx5_cmd_set_fte+0x200d/0x24c0 [mlx5_core]
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: mlx5_cmd_set_fte+0x200d/0x24c0 [mlx5_core]
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: ? __module_address.part.0+0x62/0x200
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: ? mlx5_cmd_stub_create_flow_table+0xd0/0xd0 [mlx5_core]
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: ? __raw_spin_lock_init+0x3b/0x110
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: mlx5_cmd_create_fte+0x80/0xb0 [mlx5_core]
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: add_rule_fg+0xe80/0x19c0 [mlx5_core]
--
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: Allocated by task 13476:
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: kasan_save_stack+0x1e/0x40
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: kasan_set_track+0x21/0x30
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: __kasan_kmalloc+0x7a/0x90
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: mlx5_packet_reformat_alloc+0x7b/0x230 [mlx5_core]
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: mlx5e_tc_tun_create_header_ipv4+0x977/0xf10 [mlx5_core]
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: mlx5e_attach_encap+0x15b4/0x1e10 [mlx5_core]
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: post_process_attr+0x305/0xa30 [mlx5_core]
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: mlx5e_tc_add_fdb_flow+0x4c0/0xcf0 [mlx5_core]
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: __mlx5e_add_fdb_flow+0x7cf/0xe90 [mlx5_core]
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: mlx5e_configure_flower+0xcaa/0x4b90 [mlx5_core]
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: mlx5e_rep_setup_tc_cls_flower+0x99/0x1b0 [mlx5_core]
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: mlx5e_rep_setup_tc_cb+0x133/0x1e0 [mlx5_core]
--
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: Freed by task 8833:
Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: kasan_save_s
---truncated---

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

No advisories available
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.0, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

cvssV3_1

{'score': 8.8, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.0, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

threat_severity

Moderate

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mlx5e: Don't clone flow post action attributes second time The code already clones post action attributes in mlx5e_clone_flow_attr_for_post_act(). Creating another copy in mlx5e_tc_post_act_add() is a erroneous leftover from original implementation. Instead, assign handle->attribute to post_attr provided by the caller. Note that cloning the attribute second time is not just wasteful but also causes issues like second copy not being properly updated in neigh update code which leads to following use-after-free: Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in mlx5_cmd_set_fte+0x200d/0x24c0 [mlx5_core] Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: kasan_report+0xbb/0x1a0 Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: kasan_save_stack+0x1e/0x40 Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: kasan_set_track+0x21/0x30 Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: __kasan_kmalloc+0x7a/0x90 Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: kasan_save_stack+0x1e/0x40 Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: kasan_set_track+0x21/0x30 Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: kasan_save_free_info+0x2a/0x40 Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: ____kasan_slab_free+0x11a/0x1b0 Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: page dumped because: kasan: bad access detected Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: mlx5_core 0000:08:00.0: mlx5_cmd_out_err:803:(pid 8833): SET_FLOW_TABLE_ENTRY(0x936) op_mod(0x0) failed, status bad resource state(0x9), syndrome (0xf2ff71), err(-22) Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: mlx5_core 0000:08:00.0 enp8s0f0: Failed to add post action rule Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: mlx5_core 0000:08:00.0: mlx5e_tc_encap_flows_add:190:(pid 8833): Failed to update flow post acts, -22 Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: Call Trace: Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: <TASK> Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: dump_stack_lvl+0x57/0x7d Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: print_report+0x170/0x471 Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: ? mlx5_cmd_set_fte+0x200d/0x24c0 [mlx5_core] Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: kasan_report+0xbb/0x1a0 Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: ? mlx5_cmd_set_fte+0x200d/0x24c0 [mlx5_core] Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: mlx5_cmd_set_fte+0x200d/0x24c0 [mlx5_core] Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: ? __module_address.part.0+0x62/0x200 Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: ? mlx5_cmd_stub_create_flow_table+0xd0/0xd0 [mlx5_core] Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: ? __raw_spin_lock_init+0x3b/0x110 Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: mlx5_cmd_create_fte+0x80/0xb0 [mlx5_core] Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: add_rule_fg+0xe80/0x19c0 [mlx5_core] -- Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: Allocated by task 13476: Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: kasan_save_stack+0x1e/0x40 Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: kasan_set_track+0x21/0x30 Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: __kasan_kmalloc+0x7a/0x90 Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: mlx5_packet_reformat_alloc+0x7b/0x230 [mlx5_core] Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: mlx5e_tc_tun_create_header_ipv4+0x977/0xf10 [mlx5_core] Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: mlx5e_attach_encap+0x15b4/0x1e10 [mlx5_core] Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: post_process_attr+0x305/0xa30 [mlx5_core] Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: mlx5e_tc_add_fdb_flow+0x4c0/0xcf0 [mlx5_core] Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: __mlx5e_add_fdb_flow+0x7cf/0xe90 [mlx5_core] Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: mlx5e_configure_flower+0xcaa/0x4b90 [mlx5_core] Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: mlx5e_rep_setup_tc_cls_flower+0x99/0x1b0 [mlx5_core] Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: mlx5e_rep_setup_tc_cb+0x133/0x1e0 [mlx5_core] -- Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: Freed by task 8833: Feb 21 09:02:00 c-237-177-40-045 kernel: kasan_save_s ---truncated---
Title net/mlx5e: Don't clone flow post action attributes second time
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References
Weaknesses

No weakness.

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
Linux
Published
Updated
Oct 15, 2026, 9:41 PM
Reserved
Dec 30, 2025, 12:06 PM
Status
Deferred
Published
Dec 30, 2025, 1:16 PM
Modified
Oct 15, 2026, 10:17 PM
Severity
Moderate
Public date
Dec 30, 2025, 12:00 AM