CVE-2025-39985: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: can: mcba_usb: populate ndo_change_mtu() to prevent buffer overflow Sending an P...

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: can: mcba_usb: 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 mcba_usb 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, mcba_usb_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 these lines: usb_msg.dlc = cf->len; memcpy(usb_msg.data, cf->data, usb_msg.dlc); 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! 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.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.8/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Probability

0.22%

13.3th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Affected Software

Source: CNA advisory (CVE.org). NVD analysis pending.

Vendor	Product	Versions
Linux	Linux	>= 51f3baad7de943780ce0c17bd7975df567dd6e14, < 0fa9303c4b9493727e0d3a6ac3729300e3013930; >= 51f3baad7de943780ce0c17bd7975df567dd6e14, < 37aed407496bf6de8910e588edb04d2435fa7011; >= 51f3baad7de943780ce0c17bd7975df567dd6e14, < 6eec67bfb25637f9b51e584cf59ddace59925bc8; >= 51f3baad7de943780ce0c17bd7975df567dd6e14, < ca4e51359608e1f29bf1f2c33c3ddf775b6b7ed1; >= 51f3baad7de943780ce0c17bd7975df567dd6e14, < 3664ae91b26d1fd7e4cee9cde17301361f4c89d5; >= 51f3baad7de943780ce0c17bd7975df567dd6e14, < 6b9fb82df8868dbe9ffea5874b8d35f951faedbb; >= 51f3baad7de943780ce0c17bd7975df567dd6e14, < b638c3fb0f163e69785ceddb3b434a9437878bec; >= 51f3baad7de943780ce0c17bd7975df567dd6e14, < 17c8d794527f01def0d1c8b7dc2d7b8d34fed0e6
Linux	Linux	4.12

References

Timeline

Published: Oct 15, 2025
Last Modified: Jul 30, 2026
Status: Deferred

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-39985?

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: can: mcba_usb: 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 mcba_usb 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, mcba_usb_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 these lines: usb_msg.dlc = cf->len; memcpy(usb_msg.data, cf->data, usb_msg.dlc); 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! 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.

How severe is CVE-2025-39985?

CVE-2025-39985 has a CVSS score of 7.8/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.22% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2025-39985?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

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