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

nvmet-tcp: bound SGL data length before allocating command buffers

nvmet_tcp_map_data() reads the host-controlled 32-bit sgl->length
and, for the in-capsule offset descriptor (type 0x01), checks it
against port->inline_data_size before use. Any other SGL descriptor
type -- including the non-inline transport SGL data-block descriptor
(type (NVME_TRANSPORT_SGL_DATA_DESC << 4) | NVME_SGL_FMT_TRANSPORT_A,
the type a real host uses for out-of-capsule writes) skips that check
entirely and falls straight through to:

cmd->req.sg = sgl_alloc(len, GFP_KERNEL, &cmd->req.sg_cnt);

with len taken directly from the wire, unbounded up to 4 GiB.

nvmet_req_init() only parses the command and never inspects
sgl->length, and nvmet_check_transfer_len() -- the only other place
transfer_len is validated -- runs later, from req->execute(), after
the allocation has already happened. For a write command the target
responds with an R2T and parks the command waiting for the host to
send the data; if the host (or an unauthenticated peer that simply
never follows up) never does, the sgl_alloc() buffer stays resident
for the life of the command. NVMe/TCP has no mandatory authentication
in the default configuration, so any peer able to reach the target
portal and complete a Fabrics connect can drive this with a single
crafted command, repeatable across queues and connections for
amplification. This is unbounded kernel memory allocation
triggered by a remote, effectively unauthenticated peer.

Validate len against the same NVMET_TCP_MAXH2CDATA ceiling this file
already uses to bound per-PDU H2C data, for every SGL descriptor type,
before doing any allocation. This closes the gap for the non-inline
descriptor while leaving the existing, tighter inline_data_size check
in place for the in-capsule case.

Runtime-verified on a v6.19 KASAN stand: with this bound in place, a
crafted write command carrying an oversized non-inline SGL length is
rejected before sgl_alloc() runs, where the same request previously
drove an unbounded ~256 MiB kernel allocation (up to 4 GiB) that
stayed resident pending an R2T the host never satisfies.
Published: 2026-09-04
Score: n/a
EPSS: n/a
KEV: No
Impact: n/a
Action: n/a
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History

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 15:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nvmet-tcp: bound SGL data length before allocating command buffers nvmet_tcp_map_data() reads the host-controlled 32-bit sgl->length and, for the in-capsule offset descriptor (type 0x01), checks it against port->inline_data_size before use. Any other SGL descriptor type -- including the non-inline transport SGL data-block descriptor (type (NVME_TRANSPORT_SGL_DATA_DESC << 4) | NVME_SGL_FMT_TRANSPORT_A, the type a real host uses for out-of-capsule writes) skips that check entirely and falls straight through to: cmd->req.sg = sgl_alloc(len, GFP_KERNEL, &cmd->req.sg_cnt); with len taken directly from the wire, unbounded up to 4 GiB. nvmet_req_init() only parses the command and never inspects sgl->length, and nvmet_check_transfer_len() -- the only other place transfer_len is validated -- runs later, from req->execute(), after the allocation has already happened. For a write command the target responds with an R2T and parks the command waiting for the host to send the data; if the host (or an unauthenticated peer that simply never follows up) never does, the sgl_alloc() buffer stays resident for the life of the command. NVMe/TCP has no mandatory authentication in the default configuration, so any peer able to reach the target portal and complete a Fabrics connect can drive this with a single crafted command, repeatable across queues and connections for amplification. This is unbounded kernel memory allocation triggered by a remote, effectively unauthenticated peer. Validate len against the same NVMET_TCP_MAXH2CDATA ceiling this file already uses to bound per-PDU H2C data, for every SGL descriptor type, before doing any allocation. This closes the gap for the non-inline descriptor while leaving the existing, tighter inline_data_size check in place for the in-capsule case. Runtime-verified on a v6.19 KASAN stand: with this bound in place, a crafted write command carrying an oversized non-inline SGL length is rejected before sgl_alloc() runs, where the same request previously drove an unbounded ~256 MiB kernel allocation (up to 4 GiB) that stayed resident pending an R2T the host never satisfies.
Title nvmet-tcp: bound SGL data length before allocating command buffers
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References

Subscriptions

Linux Linux Kernel
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2026-09-04T15:13:01.161Z

Reserved: 2026-08-26T14:34:25.793Z

Link: CVE-2026-80789

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Received

Published: 2026-09-04T16:18:05.010

Modified: 2026-09-04T16:18:05.010

Link: CVE-2026-80789

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-09-04T18:30:04Z

Weaknesses

No weakness.