[PATCH] netfilter: bpf: disallow conntrack kfuncs for token programs

From: Jérémy Jean

Date: Sat Aug 22 2026 - 17:10:58 EST


BPF tokens delegate BPF and network-admin capability checks to the token
owning user namespace. Conntrack kfuncs nevertheless accept a network
namespace ID relative to the program context without checking whether the
token has authority over the resolved namespace.

An XDP program attached to a veth in a child network namespace can use
the peer namespace ID for init_net. bpf_xdp_ct_alloc() then allocates an
entry in init_net, bpf_ct_insert_entry() publishes it, and the lookup and
mutation kfuncs can subsequently access that host state.

The verifier retains the token in prog->aux, but it cannot determine the
runtime namespace selected through bpf_ct_opts. Conservatively reject the
conntrack kfunc set for token-loaded programs. The kfunc interface is
explicitly unstable, and ordinary token-authorized XDP programs remain
available.

Fixes: caf8f28e036c ("bpf: Add BPF token support to BPF_PROG_LOAD command")
Assisted-by: Codex:gpt-5
Signed-off-by: Jérémy Jean <Jeremy.Jean@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_bpf.c | 15 +++++++++++++++
1 file changed, 15 insertions(+)

diff --git a/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_bpf.c b/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_bpf.c
index c2df7c9..4075ee1 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_bpf.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_bpf.c
@@ -532,9 +532,24 @@ BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_ct_set_status)
BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_ct_change_status)
BTF_KFUNCS_END(nf_ct_kfunc_set)

+static int nf_conntrack_kfunc_filter(const struct bpf_prog *prog, u32 kfunc_id)
+{
+ /*
+ * Conntrack kfuncs accept a netns ID relative to the program context.
+ * The verifier cannot determine which user namespace owns that target.
+ * Do not let a token delegate authority over arbitrary peer netns state.
+ */
+ if (prog->aux->token &&
+ btf_id_set8_contains(&nf_ct_kfunc_set, kfunc_id))
+ return -EACCES;
+
+ return 0;
+}
+
static const struct btf_kfunc_id_set nf_conntrack_kfunc_set = {
.owner = THIS_MODULE,
.set = &nf_ct_kfunc_set,
+ .filter = nf_conntrack_kfunc_filter,
};

int register_nf_conntrack_bpf(void)
--
2.47.3