[PATCH] can: isotp: check the frame type, not just the length

From: Kaixuan Li

Date: Sat Sep 19 2026 - 08:29:13 EST


isotp_rcv() separates Classic CAN from CAN FD by skb->len alone:

if (skb->len != so->ll.mtu)
return;

cf = (struct canfd_frame *)skb->data;

A CAN XL frame with cxl->len 4 is CAN_MTU bytes, so it passes, and is then
read as a canfd_frame whose len comes out of canxl_frame.flags: at least
0x80.

Of the paths that follow, only the flow control one uses that length
without bounding it first, so check_pad() walks to 255 over a 16-byte
frame and the caller reports EBADMSG on an unrelated socket.

bcm_rx_handler(), j1939_can_recv(), can_can_gw_rcv() and raw_rcv() check
the frame type here, and can_dropped_invalid_skb() switches on
skb->protocol on the transmit side. isotp_rcv() is the gap.

Fixes: fb08cba12b52 ("can: canxl: update CAN infrastructure for CAN XL frames")
Signed-off-by: Kaixuan Li <kaixuanli0131@xxxxxxxxx>
---
Reproduced on v7.2.4 over vcan, one isotp socket per case bound rx 0x123
with RX_PADDING|CHK_PAD_DATA and rxpad_content 0xAA, a first frame in
flight, and one frame injected from a CAN_RAW socket.

case stock patched
A CAN XL, cxl->len 4, flags ff EBADMSG none
B Classic FC, padded 0xAA none none
C Classic FC, padded 0x00 EBADMSG EBADMSG
D as A, with CHK_PAD_LEN on EBADMSG none

C bounds the impact: a malformed Classic FC frame from any sender on the
bus gives the same EBADMSG, so nothing becomes reachable that was not
already. D differs only in which branch of check_pad() returns.

No memory safety issue. KASAN was on for all eight runs and reported
nothing.
---
net/can/isotp.c | 11 +++++++++++
1 file changed, 11 insertions(+)

--- a/net/can/isotp.c
+++ b/net/can/isotp.c
@@ -754,8 +754,19 @@ static void isotp_rcv(struct sk_buff *skb, void *data)
*/
if (skb->len != so->ll.mtu)
return;

+ /* skb->len does not separate the frame types on its own: a CAN XL
+ * frame with cxl->len == 4 is CAN_MTU bytes, and canxl_frame.flags
+ * aliases canfd_frame.len.
+ */
+ if (so->ll.mtu == CAN_MTU) {
+ if (!can_is_can_skb(skb))
+ return;
+ } else if (!can_is_canfd_skb(skb)) {
+ return;
+ }
+
cf = (struct canfd_frame *)skb->data;

/* if enabled: check reception of my configured extended address */
if (ae && cf->data[0] != so->opt.rx_ext_address)