[PATCH v2] net: skbuff: fix uninitialized memory use in pskb_expand_head()

From: Soham Metha

Date: Mon Jan 26 2026 - 08:32:36 EST


pskb_expand_head() allocates a new skb data buffer using
kmalloc_reserve(), which does not initialize memory. skb helpers may
later copy or move padding bytes from the buffer.

Initialize the newly allocated skb buffer to avoid propagating
uninitialized memory.

Reported-by: syzbot+619b9ef527f510a57cfc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Closes: https://syzkaller.appspot.com/bug?extid=619b9ef527f510a57cfc
Tested-by: syzbot+619b9ef527f510a57cfc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Signed-off-by: Soham Metha <sohammetha01@xxxxxxxxx>
---

v2:
- No code changes
- Resent to netdev list
- Added Closes tag
- Added Tested-by tag

net/core/skbuff.c | 3 +++
1 file changed, 3 insertions(+)

diff --git a/net/core/skbuff.c b/net/core/skbuff.c
index a56133902c0d..b0f0d3a0310b 100644
--- a/net/core/skbuff.c
+++ b/net/core/skbuff.c
@@ -2282,6 +2282,9 @@ int pskb_expand_head(struct sk_buff *skb, int nhead, int ntail,
data = kmalloc_reserve(&size, gfp_mask, NUMA_NO_NODE, NULL);
if (!data)
goto nodata;
+
+ memset(data, 0, size);
+
size = SKB_WITH_OVERHEAD(size);

/* Copy only real data... and, alas, header. This should be
--
2.34.1