[PATCH net v5] net: qualcomm: rmnet: require CAP_NET_ADMIN in the real device netns for config ops

From: Abdifatah Suruur

Date: Sun Sep 06 2026 - 08:33:15 EST


An rmnet device may be created with its real device in a different
netns than the rmnet device itself (rmnet_newlink() resolves it in
link_net), and the config paths below only check CAP_NET_ADMIN against
dev_net(dev), while mutating rmnet port state attached to the real
device:

- rmnet_changelink() rewrites the endpoint mux table and
port->data_format and, via rmnet_vnd_update_dev_mtu(), can shrink the
MTU of the rmnet endpoint netdevs.
- rmnet_add_bridge() and rmnet_del_bridge(), reachable via
ndo_add_slave/ndo_del_slave through RTM_SETLINK IFLA_MASTER, flip
port->rmnet_mode and port->bridge_ep on the real device's port; with
bridge_ep pointing at a caller-owned device, rmnet_rx_handler() then
forwards real-device ingress frames to it.
- rmnet_set_coalesce() rewrites the port aggregation parameters via
ETHTOOL_SCOALESCE (ioctl) or ETHTOOL_MSG_COALESCE_SET (netlink),
whose capability checks likewise only cover dev's netns.

A caller privileged only in the rmnet device's netns can therefore
rewrite the shared cellular data-path state owned by another netns, and
steer its ingress traffic.

Gate the rtnl paths with rtnl_dev_link_net_capable(), matching the
"require CAP_NET_ADMIN in the device netns for changelink" series
(vxlan/geneve, CVE-2026-68432), and gate the ethtool setter with
ns_capable() in the real device netns, mirroring the check dev_ethtool()
already applies to dev's netns. Report the new rejections through
extack where one is available.

Fixes: 2abb5792387e ("net: qualcomm: rmnet: Allow configuration updates to existing devices")
Fixes: 60d58f971c1077 ("net: qualcomm: rmnet: Implement bridge mode")
Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Signed-off-by: Abdifatah Suruur <suruurism@xxxxxxxxx>
---
v5:
- also gate rmnet_set_coalesce(), the ethtool setter that rewrites the
port aggregation parameters of the real device's port, per the
Sashiko review
- report the new capability rejections through extack where available
v4:
- use the netdev comment style, per Subash Abhinov Kasiviswanathan
v3:
- cover rmnet_add_bridge() and rmnet_del_bridge() with the same gate;
they mutate the same real-device port state via ndo_add_slave/
ndo_del_slave and have no capability check of their own
- correct the impact wording: rmnet_vnd_update_dev_mtu() only reads
real_dev->mtu; the MTU store lands on the rmnet endpoint netdevs via
rmnet_vnd_change_mtu(), not on the real device
v2:
- drop Reported-by: (implied for the author), per Jakub Kicinski
---
.../ethernet/qualcomm/rmnet/rmnet_config.c | 33 ++++++++++++++++++-
.../net/ethernet/qualcomm/rmnet/rmnet_vnd.c | 18 +++++++++-
2 files changed, 49 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/qualcomm/rmnet/rmnet_config.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/qualcomm/rmnet/rmnet_config.c
index bed6f63facf25..7757fcb2fcc9f 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/qualcomm/rmnet/rmnet_config.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/qualcomm/rmnet/rmnet_config.c
@@ -312,6 +312,16 @@ static int rmnet_changelink(struct net_device *dev, struct nlattr *tb[],
if (!rmnet_is_real_dev_registered(real_dev))
return -ENODEV;

+ /* The rtnl path only checks CAP_NET_ADMIN against dev_net(dev),
+ * but the port state mutated below is attached to real_dev, which
+ * may live in a different netns.
+ */
+ if (!rtnl_dev_link_net_capable(dev, dev_net(real_dev))) {
+ NL_SET_ERR_MSG_MOD(extack,
+ "Changing the port settings requires CAP_NET_ADMIN in the real device network namespace");
+ return -EPERM;
+ }
+
port = rmnet_get_port_rtnl(real_dev);

if (data[IFLA_RMNET_MUX_ID]) {
@@ -441,6 +451,16 @@ int rmnet_add_bridge(struct net_device *rmnet_dev,
struct rmnet_port *port, *slave_port;
int err;

+ /* The rtnl path only checks CAP_NET_ADMIN against dev_net(dev),
+ * but the port state mutated below is attached to real_dev, which
+ * may live in a different netns.
+ */
+ if (!rtnl_dev_link_net_capable(rmnet_dev, dev_net(real_dev))) {
+ NL_SET_ERR_MSG_MOD(extack,
+ "Attaching a bridge device requires CAP_NET_ADMIN in the real device network namespace");
+ return -EPERM;
+ }
+
port = rmnet_get_port_rtnl(real_dev);

/* If there is more than one rmnet dev attached, its probably being
@@ -489,7 +509,18 @@ int rmnet_add_bridge(struct net_device *rmnet_dev,
int rmnet_del_bridge(struct net_device *rmnet_dev,
struct net_device *slave_dev)
{
- struct rmnet_port *port = rmnet_get_port_rtnl(slave_dev);
+ struct rmnet_priv *priv = netdev_priv(rmnet_dev);
+ struct net_device *real_dev = priv->real_dev;
+ struct rmnet_port *port;
+
+ /* The rtnl path only checks CAP_NET_ADMIN against dev_net(dev),
+ * but rmnet_unregister_bridge() below clears the bridge state of
+ * the real device's port, which may live in a different netns.
+ */
+ if (!rtnl_dev_link_net_capable(rmnet_dev, dev_net(real_dev)))
+ return -EPERM;
+
+ port = rmnet_get_port_rtnl(slave_dev);

rmnet_unregister_bridge(port);

diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/qualcomm/rmnet/rmnet_vnd.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/qualcomm/rmnet/rmnet_vnd.c
index 4f0ddcedfa979..1f4a3246f254a 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/qualcomm/rmnet/rmnet_vnd.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/qualcomm/rmnet/rmnet_vnd.c
@@ -4,9 +4,11 @@
* RMNET Data virtual network driver
*/

+#include <linux/capability.h>
#include <linux/etherdevice.h>
#include <linux/ethtool.h>
#include <linux/if_arp.h>
+#include <linux/netlink.h>
#include <net/pkt_sched.h>
#include "rmnet_config.h"
#include "rmnet_handlers.h"
@@ -240,9 +242,23 @@ static int rmnet_set_coalesce(struct net_device *dev,
struct netlink_ext_ack *extack)
{
struct rmnet_priv *priv = netdev_priv(dev);
+ struct net_device *real_dev = priv->real_dev;
struct rmnet_port *port;

- port = rmnet_get_port_rtnl(priv->real_dev);
+ /*
+ * The aggregation parameters live in the port attached to
+ * real_dev, which may reside in a different netns. The ethtool
+ * paths only require CAP_NET_ADMIN in dev's netns, so require it
+ * in real_dev's netns as well before mutating the shared port
+ * state.
+ */
+ if (!ns_capable(dev_net(real_dev)->user_ns, CAP_NET_ADMIN)) {
+ NL_SET_ERR_MSG_MOD(extack,
+ "Changing aggregation parameters requires CAP_NET_ADMIN in the real device network namespace");
+ return -EPERM;
+ }
+
+ port = rmnet_get_port_rtnl(real_dev);

if (kernel_coal->tx_aggr_max_frames < 1 || kernel_coal->tx_aggr_max_frames > 64)
return -EINVAL;
--
2.53.0