return net;
 }
 
+static int validate_linkmsg(struct net_device *dev, struct nlattr *tb[])
+{
+       if (dev) {
+               if (tb[IFLA_ADDRESS] &&
+                   nla_len(tb[IFLA_ADDRESS]) < dev->addr_len)
+                       return -EINVAL;
+
+               if (tb[IFLA_BROADCAST] &&
+                   nla_len(tb[IFLA_BROADCAST]) < dev->addr_len)
+                       return -EINVAL;
+       }
+
+       return 0;
+}
+
 static int do_setlink(struct net_device *dev, struct ifinfomsg *ifm,
                      struct nlattr **tb, char *ifname, int modified)
 {
                goto errout;
        }
 
-       if (tb[IFLA_ADDRESS] &&
-           nla_len(tb[IFLA_ADDRESS]) < dev->addr_len)
-               goto errout_dev;
-
-       if (tb[IFLA_BROADCAST] &&
-           nla_len(tb[IFLA_BROADCAST]) < dev->addr_len)
+       if ((err = validate_linkmsg(dev, tb)) < 0)
                goto errout_dev;
 
        err = do_setlink(dev, ifm, tb, ifname, 0);
        else
                dev = NULL;
 
+       if ((err = validate_linkmsg(dev, tb)) < 0)
+               return err;
+
        if (tb[IFLA_LINKINFO]) {
                err = nla_parse_nested(linkinfo, IFLA_INFO_MAX,
                                       tb[IFLA_LINKINFO], ifla_info_policy);