[PATCH AUTOSEL 7.0-5.10] net: hamradio: scc: validate bufsize in SIOCSCCSMEM ioctl

From: Mashiro Chen <[email protected]>

[ Upstream commit 8263e484d6622464ec72a5ad563f62492d84fa54 ]

The SIOCSCCSMEM ioctl copies a scc_mem_config from user space and
assigns its bufsize field directly to scc->stat.bufsize without any
range validation:

  scc->stat.bufsize = memcfg.bufsize;

If a privileged user (CAP_SYS_RAWIO) sets bufsize to 0, the receive
interrupt handler later calls dev_alloc_skb(0) and immediately writes
a KISS type byte via skb_put_u8() into a zero-capacity socket buffer,
corrupting the adjacent skb_shared_info region.

Reject bufsize values smaller than 16; this is large enough to hold
at least one KISS header byte plus useful data.

Signed-off-by: Mashiro Chen <[email protected]>
Acked-by: Joerg Reuter <[email protected]>
Link: https://patch.msgid.link/[email protected]
Signed-off-by: Jakub Kicinski <[email protected]>
Signed-off-by: Sasha Levin <[email protected]>
---

LLM Generated explanations, may be completely bogus:

All the data is gathered. Let me compile the complete analysis.

---

## PHASE 1: COMMIT MESSAGE FORENSICS

**Step 1.1: Subject Line**
- Subsystem: `net: hamradio: scc`
- Action verb: "validate" — indicates adding missing input validation,
  i.e., fixing missing bounds checking
- Summary: Add missing bounds check on `bufsize` parameter from
  userspace ioctl

**Step 1.2: Tags**
- `Signed-off-by: Mashiro Chen` — patch author
- `Acked-by: Joerg Reuter <[email protected]>` — this is the **original
  driver author** (copyright holder since 1993, confirmed in file
  header). Strong endorsement.
- `Link:` to patch.msgid.link — standard netdev submission
- `Signed-off-by: Jakub Kicinski` — netdev maintainer applied it. Strong
  trust signal.

**Step 1.3: Commit Body**
- Bug: `SIOCSCCSMEM` ioctl copies `bufsize` from userspace without
  validation
- Symptom: If `bufsize` is set to 0, `dev_alloc_skb(0)` creates a zero-
  capacity skb, then `skb_put_u8()` writes past the buffer, corrupting
  `skb_shared_info`
- This is a **memory corruption bug** triggered via ioctl (requires
  CAP_SYS_RAWIO)
- Fix: reject `bufsize < 16`

**Step 1.4: Hidden Bug Fix?**
Not hidden — this is an explicit, well-described input validation bug
fix preventing memory corruption.

## PHASE 2: DIFF ANALYSIS

**Step 2.1: Inventory**
- 1 file changed: `drivers/net/hamradio/scc.c`
- 2 lines added, 0 lines removed
- Function: `scc_net_siocdevprivate()`

**Step 2.2: Code Flow**
- Before: `memcfg.bufsize` assigned directly to `scc->stat.bufsize`
  after `copy_from_user`, no validation
- After: `memcfg.bufsize < 16` returns `-EINVAL` before assignment

**Step 2.3: Bug Mechanism**
Category: **Buffer overflow / out-of-bounds write**. Setting `bufsize=0`
causes `dev_alloc_skb(0)` in `scc_rxint()`, then `skb_put_u8()` writes 1
byte into a zero-capacity buffer, corrupting adjacent `skb_shared_info`.

**Step 2.4: Fix Quality**
- Obviously correct: 2-line bounds check before assignment
- Minimal and surgical — cannot introduce a regression
- No side effects, no locking changes, no API changes

## PHASE 3: GIT HISTORY INVESTIGATION

**Step 3.1: Blame**
The buggy code (line 1912: `scc->stat.bufsize = memcfg.bufsize`) traces
to `^1da177e4c3f41` (Linus Torvalds, 2005-04-16) — this is the initial
Linux git import. The bug has existed since the **very beginning of the
kernel source tree**.

**Step 3.2: Fixes tag**
No explicit `Fixes:` tag (expected — this is why it needs manual
review). The buggy code predates git history.

**Step 3.3: File history**
Changes since v6.6 are only treewide renames (`timer_container_of`,
`timer_delete_sync`, `irq_get_nr_irqs`). The SIOCSCCSMEM handler and
`scc_rxint()` are completely untouched.

**Step 3.5: Dependencies**
None. The fix is self-contained — a simple bounds check addition.

## PHASE 4: MAILING LIST

Lore is protected by anti-scraping measures and couldn't be fetched
directly. However:
- The patch was **Acked-by the original driver author** Joerg Reuter
- It was applied by **netdev maintainer Jakub Kicinski**
- It's patch 3 of a series (from message-id), but the fix is completely
  standalone

## PHASE 5: CODE SEMANTIC ANALYSIS

**Step 5.1: Functions modified**
`scc_net_siocdevprivate()` — the ioctl handler

**Step 5.2: Consumer of `bufsize`**
`scc_rxint()` (line 535) uses `scc->stat.bufsize` as the argument to
`dev_alloc_skb()`. This is an **interrupt handler** — called on every
received character from the Z8530 chip. When `bufsize=0`:
1. `dev_alloc_skb(0)` succeeds (returns a valid skb with 0 data
   capacity)
2. `skb_put_u8(skb, 0)` at line 546 writes 1 byte past the data area
   into `skb_shared_info`
3. This is **memory corruption in interrupt context**

**Step 5.4: Reachability**
The ioctl requires `CAP_SYS_RAWIO`. The corruption path is: ioctl sets
bufsize → hardware interrupt fires → `scc_rxint()` → `dev_alloc_skb(0)`
→ `skb_put_u8` overflows.

## PHASE 6: STABLE TREE ANALYSIS

**Step 6.1: Code exists in all stable trees**
Verified: the identical vulnerable code exists in v5.15, v6.1, and v6.6.
The buggy code dates to the initial kernel.

**Step 6.2: Clean apply**
The surrounding code is identical in v6.1 and v6.6 (verified). The
2-line addition will apply cleanly to all active stable trees.

## PHASE 7: SUBSYSTEM CONTEXT

- Subsystem: `drivers/net/hamradio` — networking driver (ham radio
  Z8530)
- Criticality: PERIPHERAL (niche hardware), but the bug is a **memory
  corruption**, which elevates priority regardless of driver popularity

## PHASE 8: IMPACT AND RISK ASSESSMENT

**Step 8.1: Affected users** — Users of Z8530-based ham radio hardware
(niche, but real)

**Step 8.2: Trigger** — Requires `CAP_SYS_RAWIO` to set the bad bufsize
via ioctl, then hardware interrupt triggers corruption. Privileged user
action.

**Step 8.3: Severity** — **HIGH**: Memory corruption in interrupt
context. Corrupting `skb_shared_info` can lead to unpredictable behavior
including crashes, further memory corruption, or potential exploitation.

**Step 8.4: Risk-Benefit**
- Benefit: Prevents memory corruption from invalid ioctl input
- Risk: Near zero — 2 lines of obvious bounds checking
- Ratio: Excellent — trivial fix for a real memory corruption bug

## PHASE 9: FINAL SYNTHESIS

**Evidence FOR backporting:**
- Fixes real memory corruption (skb_shared_info overwrite in interrupt
  context)
- Only 2 lines added — obviously correct bounds check
- Buggy code exists since initial kernel tree — affects ALL stable trees
- Patch applies cleanly to all stable trees (verified v5.15, v6.1, v6.6)
- Acked by original driver author (Joerg Reuter)
- Applied by netdev maintainer (Jakub Kicinski)
- No dependencies, fully self-contained
- Zero regression risk

**Evidence AGAINST backporting:**
- Requires CAP_SYS_RAWIO (privileged) to trigger
- Niche driver (ham radio hardware)

**Stable rules checklist:**
1. Obviously correct and tested? **YES** — trivial 2-line bounds check,
   acked by driver author
2. Fixes a real bug? **YES** — memory corruption from unchecked
   userspace input
3. Important issue? **YES** — memory corruption in interrupt context
4. Small and contained? **YES** — 2 lines in one file
5. No new features/APIs? **YES** — pure validation addition
6. Applies to stable? **YES** — verified identical code in all active
   stable trees

## Verification

- [Phase 1] Parsed tags: Acked-by Joerg Reuter (driver author), SOB by
  Jakub Kicinski (netdev maintainer)
- [Phase 2] Diff: 2 lines added to `scc_net_siocdevprivate()`, bounds
  check on `memcfg.bufsize`
- [Phase 3] git blame: buggy code at line 1912 dates to `^1da177e4c3f41`
  (initial git import, 2005), present in ALL stable trees
- [Phase 3] git log v6.1/v6.6/v5.15 -- scc.c: only treewide changes,
  SIOCSCCSMEM handler untouched
- [Phase 5] Traced `scc->stat.bufsize` consumer: `scc_rxint()` line 535
  calls `dev_alloc_skb(bufsize)`, line 546 `skb_put_u8` overflows when
  bufsize=0
- [Phase 6] git show v6.1/v6.6/v5.15: SIOCSCCSMEM handler code is byte-
  for-byte identical — clean apply confirmed
- [Phase 4] Lore unavailable due to anti-scraping protection — could not
  verify discussion thread directly
- [Phase 8] Failure mode: memory corruption (skb_shared_info overwrite)
  in interrupt context, severity HIGH

**YES**

 drivers/net/hamradio/scc.c | 2 ++
 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+)

diff --git a/drivers/net/hamradio/scc.c b/drivers/net/hamradio/scc.c
index ae5048efde686..8569db4a71401 100644
--- a/drivers/net/hamradio/scc.c
+++ b/drivers/net/hamradio/scc.c
@@ -1909,6 +1909,8 @@ static int scc_net_siocdevprivate(struct net_device *dev,
 			if (!capable(CAP_SYS_RAWIO)) return -EPERM;
 			if (!arg || copy_from_user(&memcfg, arg, sizeof(memcfg)))
 				return -EINVAL;
+			if (memcfg.bufsize < 16)
+				return -EINVAL;
 			scc->stat.bufsize   = memcfg.bufsize;
 			return 0;
 		
-- 
2.53.0