Linux azure: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: can: hi311x: populate ndo_change_mtu() to prevent buffer overflow Sending an… (CVE-2025-39987)
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: can: hi311x: populate ndo_change_mtu() to prevent buffer overflow Sending an PF_PACKET allows to bypass the CAN framework logic and to directly reach the xmit() function of a CAN driver. The only check which is performed by the PF_PACKET framework is to make sure that skb->len fits the interface's MTU. Unfortunately, because the sun4i_can driver does not populate its net_device_ops->ndo_change_mtu(), it is possible for an attacker to configure an invalid MTU by doing, for example: $ ip link set can0 mtu 9999 After doing so, the attacker could open a PF_PACKET socket using the ETH_P_CANXL protocol: socket(PF_PACKET, SOCK_RAW, htons(ETH_P_CANXL)) to inject a malicious CAN XL frames. For example: struct canxl_frame frame = { .flags = 0xff, .len = 2048, }; The CAN drivers' xmit() function are calling can_dev_dropped_skb() to check that the skb is valid, unfortunately under above conditions, the malicious packet is able to go through can_dev_dropped_skb() checks: 1. the skb->protocol is set to ETH_P_CANXL which is valid (the function does not check the actual device capabilities). 2. the length is a valid CAN XL length. And so, hi3110_hard_start_xmit() receives a CAN XL frame which it is not able to correctly handle and will thus misinterpret it as a CAN frame. The driver will consume frame->len as-is with no further checks. This can result in a buffer overflow later on in hi3110_hw_tx() on this line: memcpy(buf + HI3110_FIFO_EXT_DATA_OFF, frame->data, frame->len); Here, frame->len corresponds to the flags field of the CAN XL frame. In our previous example, we set canxl_frame->flags to 0xff. Because the maximum expected length is 8, a buffer overflow of 247 bytes occurs! Populate net_device_ops->ndo_change_mtu() to ensure that the interface's MTU can not be set to anything bigger than CAN_MTU. By fixing the root cause, this prevents the buffer overflow.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
The Linux kernel hi311x CAN driver lacked a proper ndo_change_mtu() implementation, allowing attackers to set an invalid MTU on the CAN interface. This invalid MTU bypasses checks in the PF_PACKET framework, enabling injection of malicious CAN XL frames through a raw PF_PACKET socket. The driver misinterprets the frame length and copies excessive data into a fixed-size buffer, causing a buffer overflow in hi3110_hw_tx(). The root cause was fixed by implementing ndo_change_mtu() to restrict MTU values to valid CAN_MTU limits, preventing the overflow.
Potential Impact
An attacker with local privileges can exploit this vulnerability to cause a buffer overflow in the hi311x CAN driver by injecting specially crafted CAN XL frames. This can lead to memory corruption with potential for code execution, denial of service, or system compromise. The vulnerability affects the integrity, availability, and confidentiality of the system.
Mitigation Recommendations
A fix is available that populates the net_device_ops->ndo_change_mtu() function in the hi311x CAN driver to prevent setting MTU values larger than CAN_MTU. Applying this fix prevents the buffer overflow by enforcing valid MTU limits. Users should update their Linux kernel to a version that includes this patch. No additional mitigations are indicated.
Linux azure: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: can: hi311x: populate ndo_change_mtu() to prevent buffer overflow Sending an… (CVE-2025-39987)
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: can: hi311x: populate ndo_change_mtu() to prevent buffer overflow Sending an PF_PACKET allows to bypass the CAN framework logic and to directly reach the xmit() function of a CAN driver. The only check which is performed by the PF_PACKET framework is to make sure that skb->len fits the interface's MTU. Unfortunately, because the sun4i_can driver does not populate its net_device_ops->ndo_change_mtu(), it is possible for an attacker to configure an invalid MTU by doing, for example: $ ip link set can0 mtu 9999 After doing so, the attacker could open a PF_PACKET socket using the ETH_P_CANXL protocol: socket(PF_PACKET, SOCK_RAW, htons(ETH_P_CANXL)) to inject a malicious CAN XL frames. For example: struct canxl_frame frame = { .flags = 0xff, .len = 2048, }; The CAN drivers' xmit() function are calling can_dev_dropped_skb() to check that the skb is valid, unfortunately under above conditions, the malicious packet is able to go through can_dev_dropped_skb() checks: 1. the skb->protocol is set to ETH_P_CANXL which is valid (the function does not check the actual device capabilities). 2. the length is a valid CAN XL length. And so, hi3110_hard_start_xmit() receives a CAN XL frame which it is not able to correctly handle and will thus misinterpret it as a CAN frame. The driver will consume frame->len as-is with no further checks. This can result in a buffer overflow later on in hi3110_hw_tx() on this line: memcpy(buf + HI3110_FIFO_EXT_DATA_OFF, frame->data, frame->len); Here, frame->len corresponds to the flags field of the CAN XL frame. In our previous example, we set canxl_frame->flags to 0xff. Because the maximum expected length is 8, a buffer overflow of 247 bytes occurs! Populate net_device_ops->ndo_change_mtu() to ensure that the interface's MTU can not be set to anything bigger than CAN_MTU. By fixing the root cause, this prevents the buffer overflow.
CVSS v3.1
Score 7.8high
Affected software
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
The Linux kernel hi311x CAN driver lacked a proper ndo_change_mtu() implementation, allowing attackers to set an invalid MTU on the CAN interface. This invalid MTU bypasses checks in the PF_PACKET framework, enabling injection of malicious CAN XL frames through a raw PF_PACKET socket. The driver misinterprets the frame length and copies excessive data into a fixed-size buffer, causing a buffer overflow in hi3110_hw_tx(). The root cause was fixed by implementing ndo_change_mtu() to restrict MTU values to valid CAN_MTU limits, preventing the overflow.
Potential Impact
An attacker with local privileges can exploit this vulnerability to cause a buffer overflow in the hi311x CAN driver by injecting specially crafted CAN XL frames. This can lead to memory corruption with potential for code execution, denial of service, or system compromise. The vulnerability affects the integrity, availability, and confidentiality of the system.
Mitigation Recommendations
A fix is available that populates the net_device_ops->ndo_change_mtu() function in the hi311x CAN driver to prevent setting MTU values larger than CAN_MTU. Applying this fix prevents the buffer overflow by enforcing valid MTU limits. Users should update their Linux kernel to a version that includes this patch. No additional mitigations are indicated.
Technical Details
- Gcve Source
- db.gcve.eu
- Osv Id
- GHSA-j555-7g4r-x4w9
- Osv Schema Version
- 1.4.0
- Aliases
- ["CVE-2025-39987"]
- Database Specific Severity
- HIGH
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
Threat ID: 6a6b72d79c2644c7f847bb4e
Added to database: 07/30/2026, 15:50:47 UTC
Last enriched: 07/30/2026, 15:54:34 UTC
Last updated: 09/10/2026, 19:36:50 UTC
Views: 27
Community Reviews
0 reviewsCrowdsource mitigation strategies, share intel context, and vote on the most helpful responses. Sign in to add your voice and help keep defenders ahead.
Want to contribute mitigation steps or threat intel context? Sign in or create an account to join the community discussion.
Actions
Updates to AI analysis require Pro Console access. Upgrade inside Console → Billing.
Need more coverage?
Upgrade to Pro Console for AI refresh and higher limits.
For incident response and remediation, OffSeq services can help resolve threats faster.
Latest Threats
Check if your credentials are on the dark web
Instant breach scanning across billions of leaked records. Free tier available.