[PATCH] macsec: reject frames that decapsulate into runt Ethernet frames

From: Kyle Zeng

Date: Fri Oct 30 2026 - 00:24:30 EST


When an SCI is unknown and the C bit is clear, macsec_handle_frame()
removes the SecTAG and the default ICV without checking how much of the
frame remains. A short frame can therefore become an skb shorter than
ETH_HLEN. eth_type_trans() cannot pull its Ethernet header, and a second
stacked MACsec device can copy stale skb headroom into a packet delivered
to a packet socket.

The matched-SCI path has a related hole: macsec_validate_skb() accepts a
short_length of one, so a frame that passes the existing length check can
still become a 13-byte Ethernet frame.

Require enough bytes for the MACsec overhead and a complete Ethernet
header before decapsulating an unknown-SCI frame. Apply the same bound
in macsec_validate_skb(), using the selected SecY's ICV length, to cover
the no-SA, synchronous-decrypt and asynchronous-decrypt delivery paths.
Leave other unknown-SCI handling unchanged.

Fixes: c09440f7dcb3 ("macsec: introduce IEEE 802.1AE driver")
Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Signed-off-by: Kyle Zeng <kylebot@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
I have a reproducer for this issue and can share via DM

drivers/net/macsec.c | 15 ++++++++++-----
1 file changed, 10 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/net/macsec.c b/drivers/net/macsec.c
index 87f3f4bdb026..240ba0ae07d1 100644
--- a/drivers/net/macsec.c
+++ b/drivers/net/macsec.c
@@ -408,8 +408,10 @@ static bool macsec_validate_skb(struct sk_buff *skb, u16 icv_len, bool xpn)
int len = skb->len - 2 * ETH_ALEN;
int extra_len = macsec_extra_len(!!(h->tci_an & MACSEC_TCI_SC)) + icv_len;

- /* a) It comprises at least 17 octets */
- if (skb->len <= 16)
+ /* a) It comprises at least 17 octets. The SecTAG and ICV must
+ * also leave a complete Ethernet header.
+ */
+ if (skb->len < ETH_HLEN + extra_len)
return false;

/* b) MACsec EtherType: already checked */
@@ -1331,9 +1333,12 @@ static rx_handler_result_t macsec_handle_frame(struct sk_buff **pskb)
nosci:
/* 10.6.1 if the SC is not found */
cbit = !!(hdr->tci_an & MACSEC_TCI_C);
- if (!cbit)
- macsec_finalize_skb(skb, MACSEC_DEFAULT_ICV_LEN,
- macsec_extra_len(macsec_skb_cb(skb)->has_sci));
+ if (!cbit) {
+ len = macsec_extra_len(macsec_skb_cb(skb)->has_sci);
+ if (skb->len < ETH_HLEN + len + MACSEC_DEFAULT_ICV_LEN)
+ goto drop_nosc;
+ macsec_finalize_skb(skb, MACSEC_DEFAULT_ICV_LEN, len);
+ }

list_for_each_entry_rcu(macsec, &rxd->secys, secys) {
struct sk_buff *nskb;

base-commit: d89e1d186ec9271bf78e62771779e9fc03bf0fc3
--
2.56.0