Executive brief
A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Reliable Datagram Sockets (RDS) implementation over InfiniBand (IB) could allow improper behavior when used within isolated network environments (namespaces). This issue occurs because the RDS/IB code was not designed to handle non-standard network configurations, potentially leading to system instability or unexpected network behavior. The fix restricts RDS/IB usage to the primary system network namespace to ensure operational integrity.
Technical details
A vulnerability was identified in the Linux kernel's RDS (Reliable Datagram Sockets) over InfiniBand (IB) transport where the implementation does not correctly support network namespaces other than the initial namespace (init_net). An attacker with the ability to create or manipulate network namespaces could potentially trigger undefined behavior or kernel errors by attempting to use RDS/IB in a non-initial namespace. The root cause is that the RDS/IB subsystem lacks the necessary namespace-aware logic required for safe operation in containerized or isolated environments. The fix introduces checks in 'net/rds/af_rds.c' and 'net/rds/ib.c' to restrict RDS/IB transport selection and address checks to the initial network namespace.
Affected products
- Linux Linux Kernel 4.3 to 6.6.141
Timeline
- 2026-06-24: disclosed
- 2026-06-24: advisory
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/07035306bf722f4676a1aee35cbeb3732c76194e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3174fc703d081d2ca538b22fba734e3ad5b52322
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3e7f14cd5a51533404e1ae4809caab46073fb5c7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a7494479757d60d2413bfaa087f8431a26eea032
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b6a54f5e9ce9b97ae641855378d71c5154a085c0
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c244b79adffad89a5173cf8bfaa06a6b40bbd09b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ebf71dd4aff46e8e421d455db3e231ba43d2fa8a