Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
virtio_net: Do not send RSS key if it is not supported
There is a bug when setting the RSS options in virtio_net that can break
the whole machine, getting the kernel into an infinite loop.
Running the following command in any QEMU virtual machine with virtionet
will reproduce this problem:
# ethtool -X eth0 hfunc toeplitz
This is how the problem happens:
1) ethtool_set_rxfh() calls virtnet_set_rxfh()
2) virtnet_set_rxfh() calls virtnet_commit_rss_command()
3) virtnet_commit_rss_command() populates 4 entries for the rss
scatter-gather
4) Since the command above does not have a key, then the last
scatter-gatter entry will be zeroed, since rss_key_size == 0.
sg_buf_size = vi->rss_key_size;
5) This buffer is passed to qemu, but qemu is not happy with a buffer
with zero length, and do the following in virtqueue_map_desc() (QEMU
function):
if (!sz) {
virtio_error(vdev, "virtio: zero sized buffers are not allowed");
6) virtio_error() (also QEMU function) set the device as broken
vdev->broken = true;
7) Qemu bails out, and do not repond this crazy kernel.
8) The kernel is waiting for the response to come back (function
virtnet_send_command())
9) The kernel is waiting doing the following :
while (!virtqueue_get_buf(vi->cvq, &tmp) &&
!virtqueue_is_broken(vi->cvq))
cpu_relax();
10) None of the following functions above is true, thus, the kernel
loops here forever. Keeping in mind that virtqueue_is_broken() does
not look at the qemu `vdev->broken`, so, it never realizes that the
vitio is broken at QEMU side.
Fix it by not sending RSS commands if the feature is not available in
the device.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 5.18 | 6.1.90 |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | linux | 6.8.9-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | linux | 6.8.9-1 | — |
| Debian 12 | linux | 6.1.90-1 | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux | 6.8.0-38.38 | USN-6893-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-aws | 6.8.0-1011.12 | USN-6893-3 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-azure | 6.8.0-1010.10 | USN-6893-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-gcp | 6.8.0-1010.11 | USN-6893-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-gke | 6.8.0-1006.9 | USN-6893-2 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-ibm +2 | 6.8.0-1008.8 | USN-6918-1, USN-6893-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-intel | 6.8.0-1007.14 | USN-6893-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-nvidia | 6.8.0-1009.9 | USN-6893-2 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-raspi | 6.8.0-1007.7 | USN-6893-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-riscv +1 | 6.8.0-38.38.1 | USN-6893-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-aws-6.8 | 6.8.0-1011.12~22.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-azure-6.8 | 6.8.0-1010.10~22.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-nvidia-6.8 | 6.8.0-1009.9~22.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-oracle-6.8 | 6.8.0-1008.8~22.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-riscv +32 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-gke +26 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | linux-gcp +13 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | linux-hwe-edge | No fix yet | — |
Show 1 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Pro Realtime 24.04 LTS | linux-raspi-realtime | 6.8.0-2006.6 | — |
| Ubuntu Pro Realtime 24.04 LTS | linux-realtime | 6.8.1-1004.4 | — |
SUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES 15 SP6 | kernel-64kb +3 | 6.4.0-150600.23.7.3 | SUSE-SU-2024:2203-1 |
| SLES 15 SP6 | kernel-azure +1 | 6.4.0-150600.8.5.4 | SUSE-SU-2024:2135-1 |
| SLES 15 SP6 | kernel-default-base | 6.4.0-150600.23.7.3.150600.12.2.7 | SUSE-SU-2024:2203-1 |
| SLES 15 SP6 | kernel-docs | 6.4.0-150600.23.7.4 | SUSE-SU-2024:2203-1 |
| SLES 15 SP6 | kernel-source | 6.4.0-150600.23.7.2 | SUSE-SU-2024:2203-1 |
| SLES 15 SP6 | kernel-syms | 6.4.0-150600.23.7.1 | SUSE-SU-2024:2203-1 |
| SLES 15 SP6 | kernel-syms-azure | 6.4.0-150600.8.5.1 | SUSE-SU-2024:2135-1 |
Show 3 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLE Micro 6.0 | kernel-default-base | 6.4.0-17.1.1.51 | SUSE-SU-2025:20008-1 |
| SLE Micro 6.0 | kernel-rt +1 | 6.4.0-9.1 | SUSE-SU-2025:20028-1 |
| SLE Micro 6.0 | kernel-source +2 | 6.4.0-18.1 | SUSE-SU-2025:20008-1 |
| SLE Live Patching 15 SP6 | kernel-default | 6.4.0-150600.23.7.3 | SUSE-SU-2024:2203-1 |
| SLE Live Patching 15 SP6 | kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP6-RT_Update_1 | 1-150600.1.5.1 | SUSE-SU-2024:2973-1 |
| SLE Live Patching 15 SP6 | kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP6_Update_1 | 1-150600.13.3.7 | SUSE-SU-2024:2203-1 |
| SUSE Real Time Module 15 SP6 | kernel-rt +3 | 6.4.0-150600.10.5.1 | SUSE-SU-2024:2973-1 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Leap 15.6 | dtb-aarch64 +2 | 6.4.0-150600.23.7.1 | SUSE-SU-2024:2203-1 |
| openSUSE Leap 15.6 | kernel-64kb +5 | 6.4.0-150600.23.7.3 | SUSE-SU-2024:2203-1 |
| openSUSE Leap 15.6 | kernel-azure +1 | 6.4.0-150600.8.5.4 | SUSE-SU-2024:2135-1 |
| openSUSE Leap 15.6 | kernel-default-base | 6.4.0-150600.23.7.3.150600.12.2.7 | SUSE-SU-2024:2203-1 |
| openSUSE Leap 15.6 | kernel-docs | 6.4.0-150600.23.7.4 | SUSE-SU-2024:2203-1 |
| openSUSE Leap 15.6 | kernel-rt +3 | 6.4.0-150600.10.5.1 | SUSE-SU-2024:2973-1 |
| openSUSE Leap 15.6 | kernel-source | 6.4.0-150600.23.7.2 | SUSE-SU-2024:2203-1 |
| openSUSE Leap 15.6 | kernel-syms-azure | 6.4.0-150600.8.5.1 | SUSE-SU-2024:2135-1 |
Amazon Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Linux 2023 | kernel-livepatch-6.1.90-99.173 | 1.0-0.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2024-695 |
| Amazon Linux 2023 | perf +14 | 6.1.90-99.173.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2024-695 |
Advisories 11
- WID-SEC-2024-1188 Linux Kernel: Mehrere Schwachstellen ermöglichen Denial of Service BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Nov 9, 2026
- USN-6893-1 linux, linux-azure, linux-gcp, linux-ibm, linux-intel, linux-lowlatency, linux-oem-6.8, linux-raspi vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 23, 2026
- USN-6893-2 linux-gke, linux-nvidia vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 23, 2026
- USN-6893-3 linux-aws vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 23, 2026
- USN-6918-1 linux-oracle vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 23, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2025:20008-1 Security update for the Linux Kernel SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Mar 23, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2025:20028-1 Security update for the Linux Kernel SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Mar 23, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2024:2973-1 Security update for the Linux Kernel SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2024:2135-1 Security update for the Linux Kernel SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- ALAS2023-2024-695 Important: kernel security update (Amazon Linux 2023) Amazon Linux Security Center (ALAS) · Jun 5, 2025
- SUSE-SU-2024:2203-1 Security update for the Linux Kernel SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · May 2, 2025