GHSA-372H-FWQG-RP6X
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-02-14 18:30 – Updated: 2026-02-14 18:30In 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. :)
{
"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": null
},
"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": "2026-02-14T18:30:14Z",
"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": []
}
Sightings
| Author | Source | Type | Date |
|---|
Nomenclature
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- Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.