[PATCH net 1/3] bpf: bpf_out_neigh_v4: Fix nd_tbl NULL dereference when IPv6 is disabled

From: Ricardo B. Marlière

Date: Sat Feb 28 2026 - 14:51:19 EST


When booting with the 'ipv6.disable=1' parameter, the nd_tbl is never
initialized because inet6_init() exits before ndisc_init() is called which
initializes it. If bpf_redirect_neigh() is called from tc with an explicit
nexthop of nh_family == AF_INET6, bpf_out_neigh_v4() takes the AF_INET6
branch and calls ip_neigh_gw6(), which relies on ipv6_stub->nd_tbl.

BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000248
Oops: Oops: 0000 [#1] SMP NOPTI
RIP: 0010:skb_do_redirect+0xb93/0xf00
Call Trace:
<TASK>
? srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5
? __tcf_classify.constprop.0+0x83/0x160
? srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5
? tcf_classify+0x2b/0x50
? srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5
? tc_run+0xb8/0x120
? srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5
__dev_queue_xmit+0x6fa/0x1000
? srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5
? srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5
? alloc_skb_with_frags+0x58/0x200
packet_sendmsg+0x10da/0x1700
? srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5
__sys_sendto+0x1f3/0x220
__x64_sys_sendto+0x24/0x30
do_syscall_64+0x101/0xf80
? exc_page_fault+0x6e/0x170
? srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f
</TASK>

Fix this by adding an early check in the AF_INET6 branch of
bpf_out_neigh_v4(). If ipv6_stub->nd_tbl is NULL, unlock RCU and drop the
packet.

Suggested-by: Fernando Fernandez Mancera <fmancera@xxxxxxx>
Fixes: ba452c9e996d ("bpf: Fix bpf_redirect_neigh helper api to support supplying nexthop")
Signed-off-by: Ricardo B. Marlière <rbm@xxxxxxxx>
---
net/core/filter.c | 4 ++++
1 file changed, 4 insertions(+)

diff --git a/net/core/filter.c b/net/core/filter.c
index 0d5d5a17acb2..9ab2fae3a0d9 100644
--- a/net/core/filter.c
+++ b/net/core/filter.c
@@ -2335,6 +2335,10 @@ static int bpf_out_neigh_v4(struct net *net, struct sk_buff *skb,

neigh = ip_neigh_for_gw(rt, skb, &is_v6gw);
} else if (nh->nh_family == AF_INET6) {
+ if (!ipv6_stub->nd_tbl) {
+ rcu_read_unlock();
+ goto out_drop;
+ }
neigh = ip_neigh_gw6(dev, &nh->ipv6_nh);
is_v6gw = true;
} else if (nh->nh_family == AF_INET) {

--
2.53.0