Bug 2541282 (CVE-2026-97965)

Summary: CVE-2026-97965 kernel: vxlan: initialize _md in vxlan_xmit_one()
Product: [Other] Security Response Reporter: OSIDB Bzimport <bzimport>
Component: vulnerabilityAssignee: Product Security DevOps Team <prodsec-dev>
Status: NEW --- QA Contact:
Severity: medium Docs Contact:
Priority: medium    
Version: unspecifiedCC: akhatavk, aos-team-art-private, asdas, dpaolell, jdelft, jupierce, lgarciaa, mbiarnes, ppalepu, ppostler, prdhamdh, rhel-process-autobot, sghai, sidsharm, suppawar, vlaad, watson-tool-maintainers
Target Milestone: ---Keywords: Security
Target Release: ---   
Hardware: All   
OS: Linux   
Whiteboard:
Fixed In Version: Doc Type: ---
Doc Text:
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN) driver. When transmitting network packets on devices configured with Group Based Policy (GBP) metadata, the driver fails to properly initialize an internal stack variable if packet flags are omitted. This issue allows residual kernel stack data to be written into outgoing packet headers, resulting in information disclosure across the network.
Story Points: ---
Clone Of: Environment:
Last Closed: Type: ---
Regression: --- Mount Type: ---
Documentation: --- CRM:
Verified Versions: Category: ---
oVirt Team: --- RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
Cloudforms Team: --- Target Upstream Version:
Embargoed:

Description OSIDB Bzimport 2026-09-25 11:14:23 UTC
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

vxlan: initialize _md in vxlan_xmit_one()

If a VXLAN device is configured with both VXLAN_F_COLLECT_METADATA and
VXLAN_F_GBP, and a packet is transmitted through it using an external
ip_tunnel_info that lacks the IP_TUNNEL_VXLAN_OPT_BIT flag, md is left
pointing to the uninitialized _md stack variable:

                if (test_bit(IP_TUNNEL_VXLAN_OPT_BIT, info->key.tun_flags)) {
                        if (info->options_len < sizeof(*md))
                                goto drop;
                        md = ip_tunnel_info_opts(info);
                }

Because IP_TUNNEL_VXLAN_OPT_BIT is not set, md is not updated and remains
pointing to _md. Later, vxlan_build_skb() is called with md, which
eventually calls vxlan_build_gbp_hdr():

        if (vxflags & VXLAN_F_GBP)
                vxlan_build_gbp_hdr(vxh, md);

Inside vxlan_build_gbp_hdr(), md->gbp is read:

        if (!md->gbp)
                return;
        gbp = (struct vxlanhdr_gbp *)vxh;
        ...
        if (md->gbp & VXLAN_GBP_DONT_LEARN)
                gbp->dont_learn = 1;

If the stack contains garbage, this causes:
1) VXLAN_HF_GBP flag to be spuriously set in the VXLAN header.
2) gbp->dont_learn and gbp->policy_applied to be set from stack bits.
3) gbp->policy_id to receive 16 bits of uninitialized kernel stack data,
   leaking it onto the wire.

Fix this by zero-initializing _md. If IP_TUNNEL_VXLAN_OPT_BIT is not
present, md->gbp remains 0, and vxlan_build_gbp_hdr() returns early
without modifying the VXLAN header.