[PATCH RFC v3 7/8] vsock: fragment datagrams across receive buffers

From: Sergio Lopez

Date: Fri Nov 13 2026 - 14:49:51 EST


The guest already uses page-sized RX allocations. A datagram can exceed
one RX buffer. Growing every posted buffer to hold a full datagram would
increase virtqueue memory use and make small queued datagrams retain large
backing allocations. With delayed reads, a bounded receive queue could
then fill after only a few messages.

Define START and EOM flags for datagram packets. Mark outgoing messages
with both flags, and let vhost split a message across guest RX buffers,
keeping START on the first fragment and EOM on the last. When a data
packet meets a descriptor with no payload space, vhost returns that
descriptor with zero used bytes. It drops datagrams but requeues stream
and seqpacket data for a later buffer.

Reassemble consecutive fragments in the guest before tap or socket
delivery. Bound a partial message to 64 fragments and 64 KiB. Discard
incomplete messages on malformed packets, a new START, a peer mismatch,
an intervening non-datagram packet, or virtqueue teardown. Require complete
framing for host and loopback ingress.

A QEMU reproducer now delivers a 9 KiB datagram as one message and all
16 messages of a delayed-read burst. Paired host/guest selftests cover
64 KiB messages and the burst through both a userspace backend and the
patched Linux vhost backend, with stream and seqpacket controls. A nested
vhost-vsock guest posting header-only RX buffers also passes stream and
seqpacket receive tests.

Signed-off-by: Sergio Lopez <slp@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
drivers/vhost/vsock.c | 15 +++++
include/uapi/linux/virtio_vsock.h | 8 +++
net/vmw_vsock/virtio_transport.c | 115 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++--
net/vmw_vsock/virtio_transport_common.c | 11 ++-
4 files changed, 141 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/vhost/vsock.c b/drivers/vhost/vsock.c
index f4fb2ac732f5..1ff4a9aff907 100644
--- a/drivers/vhost/vsock.c
+++ b/drivers/vhost/vsock.c
@@ -185,6 +185,19 @@ vhost_transport_do_send_pkt(struct vhost_vsock *vsock,
* buffer, we split it using multiple buffers.
*/
if (payload_len > iov_len - sizeof(*hdr)) {
+ if (iov_len == sizeof(*hdr)) {
+ /* Connected sockets must retry with the next buffer. */
+ if (le16_to_cpu(hdr->type) ==
+ VIRTIO_VSOCK_TYPE_DGRAM)
+ kfree_skb(skb);
+ else
+ virtio_vsock_skb_queue_head(
+ &vsock->send_pkt_queue, skb);
+ vhost_add_used(vq, head, 0);
+ added = true;
+ continue;
+ }
+
payload_len = iov_len - sizeof(*hdr);

/* As we are copying pieces of large packet's buffer to
@@ -244,6 +257,8 @@ vhost_transport_do_send_pkt(struct vhost_vsock *vsock,
*/
if (VIRTIO_VSOCK_SKB_CB(skb)->offset < skb->len) {
hdr->flags |= cpu_to_le32(flags_to_restore);
+ if (le16_to_cpu(hdr->type) == VIRTIO_VSOCK_TYPE_DGRAM)
+ hdr->flags &= ~cpu_to_le32(VIRTIO_VSOCK_DGRAM_START);

/* We are queueing the same skb to handle
* the remaining bytes, and we want to deliver it
diff --git a/include/uapi/linux/virtio_vsock.h b/include/uapi/linux/virtio_vsock.h
index 27b4b2b8bf13..e1937f756eeb 100644
--- a/include/uapi/linux/virtio_vsock.h
+++ b/include/uapi/linux/virtio_vsock.h
@@ -101,6 +101,14 @@ enum virtio_vsock_shutdown {
enum virtio_vsock_rw {
VIRTIO_VSOCK_SEQ_EOM = 1,
VIRTIO_VSOCK_SEQ_EOR = 2,
+ /*
+ * With VIRTIO_VSOCK_F_DGRAM, START marks the first RW packet of a
+ * datagram and EOM marks the last. Both are set for a datagram that
+ * fits in one packet. Fragments must be consecutive on the receive
+ * virtqueue. Each packet's len is its fragment length.
+ */
+ VIRTIO_VSOCK_DGRAM_EOM = VIRTIO_VSOCK_SEQ_EOM,
+ VIRTIO_VSOCK_DGRAM_START = 4,
};

#endif /* _UAPI_LINUX_VIRTIO_VSOCK_H */
diff --git a/net/vmw_vsock/virtio_transport.c b/net/vmw_vsock/virtio_transport.c
index 87a96e94c3c2..c8c58a7dcec4 100644
--- a/net/vmw_vsock/virtio_transport.c
+++ b/net/vmw_vsock/virtio_transport.c
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ struct virtio_vsock {
bool rx_run;
int rx_buf_nr;
int rx_buf_max_nr;
+ struct sk_buff_head dgram_rx_queue;
+ u32 dgram_rx_len;

u32 guest_cid;
bool seqpacket_allow;
@@ -312,7 +314,7 @@ virtio_transport_cancel_pkt(struct vsock_sock *vsk)
static void virtio_vsock_rx_fill(struct virtio_vsock *vsock)
{
int total_len = VIRTIO_VSOCK_DEFAULT_RX_BUF_SIZE;
- struct scatterlist pkt, *p;
+ struct scatterlist pkt;
struct virtqueue *vq;
struct sk_buff *skb;
int ret;
@@ -325,9 +327,9 @@ static void virtio_vsock_rx_fill(struct virtio_vsock *vsock)
break;

memset(skb->head, 0, VIRTIO_VSOCK_SKB_HEADROOM);
+ virtio_vsock_skb_put(skb, total_len - VIRTIO_VSOCK_SKB_HEADROOM);
sg_init_one(&pkt, virtio_vsock_hdr(skb), total_len);
- p = &pkt;
- ret = virtqueue_add_sgs(vq, &p, 0, 1, skb, GFP_KERNEL);
+ ret = virtqueue_add_inbuf(vq, &pkt, 1, skb, GFP_KERNEL);
if (ret < 0) {
kfree_skb(skb);
break;
@@ -661,6 +663,93 @@ virtio_transport_dgram_allow_check(struct vsock_sock *vsk, u32 cid, u32 port)
return dgram_allow;
}

+#define VIRTIO_VSOCK_DGRAM_MAX_FRAGS 64
+
+/* The RX worker holds rx_lock while assembling fragments from one virtqueue. */
+static void virtio_vsock_dgram_reset(struct virtio_vsock *vsock)
+{
+ skb_queue_purge(&vsock->dgram_rx_queue);
+ vsock->dgram_rx_len = 0;
+}
+
+static bool virtio_vsock_dgram_same_peer(struct sk_buff *first,
+ struct sk_buff *next)
+{
+ const struct virtio_vsock_hdr *a = virtio_vsock_hdr(first);
+ const struct virtio_vsock_hdr *b = virtio_vsock_hdr(next);
+
+ return a->src_cid == b->src_cid && a->dst_cid == b->dst_cid &&
+ a->src_port == b->src_port && a->dst_port == b->dst_port;
+}
+
+static struct sk_buff *
+virtio_vsock_dgram_reassemble(struct virtio_vsock *vsock, struct sk_buff *skb)
+{
+ struct sk_buff_head *queue = &vsock->dgram_rx_queue;
+ struct virtio_vsock_hdr *hdr = virtio_vsock_hdr(skb);
+ struct sk_buff *assembled, *fragment;
+ u32 flags = le32_to_cpu(hdr->flags);
+ int offset = 0;
+
+ if (le16_to_cpu(hdr->op) != VIRTIO_VSOCK_OP_RW ||
+ flags & ~(VIRTIO_VSOCK_DGRAM_START | VIRTIO_VSOCK_DGRAM_EOM))
+ goto drop_partial;
+
+ /* START also resynchronizes after an abandoned datagram. */
+ if (flags & VIRTIO_VSOCK_DGRAM_START)
+ virtio_vsock_dgram_reset(vsock);
+ else if (skb_queue_empty(queue))
+ goto drop_skb;
+
+ fragment = skb_peek(queue);
+ if (fragment && !virtio_vsock_dgram_same_peer(fragment, skb))
+ goto drop_partial;
+ if (skb->len > VIRTIO_VSOCK_MAX_PKT_BUF_SIZE - vsock->dgram_rx_len ||
+ skb_queue_len(queue) >= VIRTIO_VSOCK_DGRAM_MAX_FRAGS ||
+ (!(flags & VIRTIO_VSOCK_DGRAM_EOM) && !skb->len))
+ goto drop_partial;
+
+ if (flags & VIRTIO_VSOCK_DGRAM_EOM && skb_queue_empty(queue))
+ return skb;
+
+ vsock->dgram_rx_len += skb->len;
+ skb_queue_tail(queue, skb);
+ if (!(flags & VIRTIO_VSOCK_DGRAM_EOM))
+ return NULL;
+
+ assembled = virtio_vsock_alloc_skb(VIRTIO_VSOCK_SKB_HEADROOM +
+ vsock->dgram_rx_len, GFP_KERNEL);
+ if (!assembled)
+ goto reset;
+ virtio_vsock_skb_put(assembled, vsock->dgram_rx_len);
+ fragment = skb_peek(queue);
+ memcpy(virtio_vsock_hdr(assembled), virtio_vsock_hdr(fragment),
+ sizeof(*hdr));
+ hdr = virtio_vsock_hdr(assembled);
+ hdr->len = cpu_to_le32(vsock->dgram_rx_len);
+ hdr->flags = cpu_to_le32(VIRTIO_VSOCK_DGRAM_START |
+ VIRTIO_VSOCK_DGRAM_EOM);
+ skb_queue_walk(queue, fragment) {
+ if (skb_store_bits(assembled, offset, fragment->data,
+ fragment->len)) {
+ kfree_skb(assembled);
+ goto reset;
+ }
+ offset += fragment->len;
+ }
+ virtio_vsock_dgram_reset(vsock);
+ return assembled;
+
+drop_partial:
+ virtio_vsock_dgram_reset(vsock);
+drop_skb:
+ kfree_skb(skb);
+ return NULL;
+reset:
+ virtio_vsock_dgram_reset(vsock);
+ return NULL;
+}
+
static void virtio_transport_rx_work(struct work_struct *work)
{
struct virtio_vsock *vsock =
@@ -697,7 +786,8 @@ static void virtio_transport_rx_work(struct work_struct *work)

/* Drop short/long packets */
if (unlikely(len < sizeof(*hdr) ||
- len > virtio_vsock_skb_len(skb))) {
+ len > sizeof(*hdr) + skb->len)) {
+ virtio_vsock_dgram_reset(vsock);
kfree_skb(skb);
continue;
}
@@ -705,6 +795,7 @@ static void virtio_transport_rx_work(struct work_struct *work)
hdr = virtio_vsock_hdr(skb);
payload_len = le32_to_cpu(hdr->len);
if (unlikely(payload_len > len - sizeof(*hdr))) {
+ virtio_vsock_dgram_reset(vsock);
kfree_skb(skb);
continue;
}
@@ -713,12 +804,19 @@ static void virtio_transport_rx_work(struct work_struct *work)
if (le16_to_cpu(hdr->type) == VIRTIO_VSOCK_TYPE_DGRAM &&
(!vsock->dgram_allow ||
le64_to_cpu(hdr->dst_cid) != vsock->guest_cid)) {
+ virtio_vsock_dgram_reset(vsock);
kfree_skb(skb);
continue;
}

- if (payload_len)
- virtio_vsock_skb_put(skb, payload_len);
+ pskb_trim_unique(skb, payload_len);
+ if (le16_to_cpu(hdr->type) == VIRTIO_VSOCK_TYPE_DGRAM) {
+ skb = virtio_vsock_dgram_reassemble(vsock, skb);
+ if (!skb)
+ continue;
+ } else if (!skb_queue_empty(&vsock->dgram_rx_queue)) {
+ virtio_vsock_dgram_reset(vsock);
+ }

virtio_transport_deliver_tap_pkt(skb);

@@ -730,7 +828,8 @@ static void virtio_transport_rx_work(struct work_struct *work)
} while (!virtqueue_enable_cb(vq));

out:
- if (vsock->rx_buf_nr < vsock->rx_buf_max_nr / 2)
+ if (!vsock->rx_buf_nr ||
+ vsock->rx_buf_nr < vsock->rx_buf_max_nr / 2)
virtio_vsock_rx_fill(vsock);
out_nofill:
mutex_unlock(&vsock->rx_lock);
@@ -824,6 +923,7 @@ static void virtio_vsock_vqs_del(struct virtio_vsock *vsock)
mutex_lock(&vsock->rx_lock);
while ((skb = virtqueue_detach_unused_buf(vsock->vqs[VSOCK_VQ_RX])))
kfree_skb(skb);
+ virtio_vsock_dgram_reset(vsock);
mutex_unlock(&vsock->rx_lock);

mutex_lock(&vsock->tx_lock);
@@ -865,6 +965,7 @@ static int virtio_vsock_probe(struct virtio_device *vdev)

mutex_init(&vsock->tx_lock);
mutex_init(&vsock->rx_lock);
+ skb_queue_head_init(&vsock->dgram_rx_queue);
mutex_init(&vsock->event_lock);
skb_queue_head_init(&vsock->send_pkt_queue);
INIT_WORK(&vsock->rx_work, virtio_transport_rx_work);
diff --git a/net/vmw_vsock/virtio_transport_common.c b/net/vmw_vsock/virtio_transport_common.c
index c540bc40755a..23f141cd786a 100644
--- a/net/vmw_vsock/virtio_transport_common.c
+++ b/net/vmw_vsock/virtio_transport_common.c
@@ -275,6 +275,13 @@ static struct sk_buff *virtio_transport_alloc_skb(struct virtio_vsock_pkt_info *
hdr->flags |= cpu_to_le32(VIRTIO_VSOCK_SEQ_EOR);
}
}
+ if (info->type == VIRTIO_VSOCK_TYPE_DGRAM) {
+ struct virtio_vsock_hdr *hdr = virtio_vsock_hdr(skb);
+
+ /* Vhost may split this message across guest RX buffers. */
+ hdr->flags |= cpu_to_le32(VIRTIO_VSOCK_DGRAM_START |
+ VIRTIO_VSOCK_DGRAM_EOM);
+ }

if (info->reply)
virtio_vsock_skb_set_reply(skb);
@@ -1877,7 +1884,9 @@ void virtio_transport_recv_pkt(struct virtio_transport *t,
* datagrams are silently dropped (no RST).
*/
if (le16_to_cpu(hdr->type) == VIRTIO_VSOCK_TYPE_DGRAM) {
- if (le16_to_cpu(hdr->op) != VIRTIO_VSOCK_OP_RW)
+ if (le16_to_cpu(hdr->op) != VIRTIO_VSOCK_OP_RW ||
+ le32_to_cpu(hdr->flags) !=
+ (VIRTIO_VSOCK_DGRAM_START | VIRTIO_VSOCK_DGRAM_EOM))
goto free_pkt;

sk = vsock_find_bound_dgram_socket_net(&dst, net);

--
2.56.0