Linux aws: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: can: sun4i_can: populate ndo_change_mtu() to prevent buffer overflow Sending an… (CVE-2025-39986)
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: can: sun4i_can: 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, sun4ican_start_xmit() receives a CAN XL frame which it is not able to correctly handle and will thus misinterpret it as a CAN frame. This can result in a buffer overflow. The driver will consume cf->len as-is with no further checks on this line: dlc = cf->len; Here, cf->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 a couple line below when doing: for (i = 0; i < dlc; i++) writel(cf->data[i], priv->base + (dreg + i * 4)); 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 sun4i_can driver did not implement the net_device_ops->ndo_change_mtu() callback, allowing attackers to set an invalid MTU value (e.g., 9999) on the CAN interface. This invalid MTU bypasses PF_PACKET framework checks, enabling injection of malicious CAN XL frames with crafted lengths and flags. The driver misinterprets these frames, leading to a buffer overflow when it writes beyond allocated memory while processing the frame data. The vulnerability is resolved by adding the ndo_change_mtu() handler to restrict MTU values to the maximum CAN_MTU, preventing buffer overflow conditions.
Potential Impact
An attacker with local access and limited privileges can exploit this vulnerability to cause a buffer overflow in the sun4i_can driver. This may result in memory corruption, denial of service, or potentially arbitrary code execution within the kernel context. The vulnerability affects the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of the affected system.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. The root cause fix involves populating the ndo_change_mtu() callback in the sun4i_can driver to enforce MTU limits. Until an official fix is available, avoid setting custom MTU values on CAN interfaces using this driver and restrict local user access to prevent exploitation.
Linux aws: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: can: sun4i_can: populate ndo_change_mtu() to prevent buffer overflow Sending an… (CVE-2025-39986)
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: can: sun4i_can: 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, sun4ican_start_xmit() receives a CAN XL frame which it is not able to correctly handle and will thus misinterpret it as a CAN frame. This can result in a buffer overflow. The driver will consume cf->len as-is with no further checks on this line: dlc = cf->len; Here, cf->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 a couple line below when doing: for (i = 0; i < dlc; i++) writel(cf->data[i], priv->base + (dreg + i * 4)); 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 sun4i_can driver did not implement the net_device_ops->ndo_change_mtu() callback, allowing attackers to set an invalid MTU value (e.g., 9999) on the CAN interface. This invalid MTU bypasses PF_PACKET framework checks, enabling injection of malicious CAN XL frames with crafted lengths and flags. The driver misinterprets these frames, leading to a buffer overflow when it writes beyond allocated memory while processing the frame data. The vulnerability is resolved by adding the ndo_change_mtu() handler to restrict MTU values to the maximum CAN_MTU, preventing buffer overflow conditions.
Potential Impact
An attacker with local access and limited privileges can exploit this vulnerability to cause a buffer overflow in the sun4i_can driver. This may result in memory corruption, denial of service, or potentially arbitrary code execution within the kernel context. The vulnerability affects the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of the affected system.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. The root cause fix involves populating the ndo_change_mtu() callback in the sun4i_can driver to enforce MTU limits. Until an official fix is available, avoid setting custom MTU values on CAN interfaces using this driver and restrict local user access to prevent exploitation.
Technical Details
- Gcve Source
- db.gcve.eu
- Osv Id
- GHSA-6p7j-vrw4-43wh
- Osv Schema Version
- 1.4.0
- Aliases
- ["CVE-2025-39986"]
- Database Specific Severity
- HIGH
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
Threat ID: 6a6b72d89c2644c7f847be1d
Added to database: 07/30/2026, 15:50:48 UTC
Last enriched: 07/30/2026, 15:53:22 UTC
Last updated: 09/10/2026, 19:36:50 UTC
Views: 26
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.