[PATCH v2] ax25: fix OOB read after address header strip in ax25_rcv().

From: Ashutosh Desai

Date: Thu Apr 09 2026 - 11:24:49 EST


ax25_rcv() calls skb_pull(skb, ax25_addr_size(&dp)) to strip the
address header, then reads skb->data[0] (control byte) and skb->data[1]
(PID byte) without verifying those bytes are in the linear sk_buff area.

The original fix checked skb->len < 2, but as Eric Dumazet pointed out,
skb->len counts bytes across the linear head and any non-linear
fragments. If the two bytes needed sit in a fragment, the check passes
but the direct skb->data access is still out of bounds.

Use pskb_may_pull(skb, 2) instead, which ensures both bytes are present
and pulls them into the linear area if needed before we read them.

Suggested-by: Eric Dumazet <edumazet@xxxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: Ashutosh Desai <ashutoshdesai993@xxxxxxxxx>
---
net/ax25/ax25_in.c | 5 +++++
1 file changed, 5 insertions(+)

diff --git a/net/ax25/ax25_in.c b/net/ax25/ax25_in.c
index d75b3e9ed..6a71dea87 100644
--- a/net/ax25/ax25_in.c
+++ b/net/ax25/ax25_in.c
@@ -217,6 +217,11 @@ static int ax25_rcv(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev,
*/
skb_pull(skb, ax25_addr_size(&dp));

+ if (!pskb_may_pull(skb, 2)) {
+ kfree_skb(skb);
+ return 0;
+ }
+
/* For our port addresses ? */
if (ax25cmp(&dest, dev_addr) == 0 && dp.lastrepeat + 1 == dp.ndigi)
mine = 1;
--
2.34.1