Linux kernel: traffic-control drop path lets a packet use freed memory

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

net/sched: sch_teql: fix use-after-free on lower qdisc drop

The issue: teql_master_xmit() tests the slave's ndo_start_xmit() return value against NETDEV_TX_OK alone. A slave that consumes the skb but returns an error code (rc < NET_XMIT_MASK, e.g. NET_XMIT_DROP) is treated as if the skb were still owned, so the loop restores skb->dev and calls __skb_pull() on it. A VLAN slave returns the result of dev_queue_xmit() from its ndo_start_xmit() (propagated since cbbef5e18307), and when the lower qdisc drops the packet that value is NET_XMIT_DROP after the skb has been freed, giving a use-after-free in teql_master_xmit().

The Fix: test for consumption with dev_xmit_complete(), which accepts NETDEV_TX_OK and every rc < NET_XMIT_MASK, matching other callers that need to distinguish consumed results from busy. Only NETDEV_TX_OK keeps the packet counted in tx_packets/tx_bytes and advances the slave; a consumed result that is neither a success nor NET_XMIT_CN ends the attempt and is charged to tx_dropped, so lower-qdisc drops are no longer reported as good transmits. NET_XMIT_CN is counted like success because it can accompany acceptance of the current packet: pfifo_head_drop drops the old head, enqueues the current skb and returns NET_XMIT_CN.

Conditions to recreate the bug: With CONFIG_NET_SCH_TEQL, CONFIG_VLAN_8021Q and CONFIG_DUMMY enabled, add lkrdummy0 (dummy) and lkrvlan0 (VLAN id 37 on lkrdummy0); set a pfifo limit 0 root on lkrdummy0 and a teql0 root on lkrvlan0; bring teql0 up with an address and send one UDP packet to it. The VLAN xmit returns NET_XMIT_DROP from the lower qdisc while holding a freed skb.