nla_peer = data[VXCAN_INFO_PEER];
                ifmp = nla_data(nla_peer);
-               err = rtnl_nla_parse_ifla(peer_tb,
-                                         nla_data(nla_peer) +
-                                         sizeof(struct ifinfomsg),
-                                         nla_len(nla_peer) -
-                                         sizeof(struct ifinfomsg),
-                                         NULL);
+               err = rtnl_nla_parse_ifinfomsg(peer_tb, nla_peer, extack);
                if (err < 0)
                        return err;
 
 
 
                nla_peer = data[VETH_INFO_PEER];
                ifmp = nla_data(nla_peer);
-               err = rtnl_nla_parse_ifla(peer_tb,
-                                         nla_data(nla_peer) + sizeof(struct ifinfomsg),
-                                         nla_len(nla_peer) - sizeof(struct ifinfomsg),
-                                         NULL);
+               err = rtnl_nla_parse_ifinfomsg(peer_tb, nla_peer, extack);
                if (err < 0)
                        return err;
 
 
 int rtnl_configure_link(struct net_device *dev, const struct ifinfomsg *ifm,
                        u32 portid, const struct nlmsghdr *nlh);
 
-int rtnl_nla_parse_ifla(struct nlattr **tb, const struct nlattr *head, int len,
-                       struct netlink_ext_ack *exterr);
+int rtnl_nla_parse_ifinfomsg(struct nlattr **tb, const struct nlattr *nla_peer,
+                            struct netlink_ext_ack *exterr);
 struct net *rtnl_get_net_ns_capable(struct sock *sk, int netnsid);
 
 #define MODULE_ALIAS_RTNL_LINK(kind) MODULE_ALIAS("rtnl-link-" kind)
 
        return err;
 }
 
-int rtnl_nla_parse_ifla(struct nlattr **tb, const struct nlattr *head, int len,
-                       struct netlink_ext_ack *exterr)
+int rtnl_nla_parse_ifinfomsg(struct nlattr **tb, const struct nlattr *nla_peer,
+                            struct netlink_ext_ack *exterr)
 {
-       return nla_parse_deprecated(tb, IFLA_MAX, head, len, ifla_policy,
+       const struct ifinfomsg *ifmp;
+       const struct nlattr *attrs;
+       size_t len;
+
+       ifmp = nla_data(nla_peer);
+       attrs = nla_data(nla_peer) + sizeof(struct ifinfomsg);
+       len = nla_len(nla_peer) - sizeof(struct ifinfomsg);
+
+       if (ifmp->ifi_index < 0) {
+               NL_SET_ERR_MSG_ATTR(exterr, nla_peer,
+                                   "ifindex can't be negative");
+               return -EINVAL;
+       }
+
+       return nla_parse_deprecated(tb, IFLA_MAX, attrs, len, ifla_policy,
                                    exterr);
 }
-EXPORT_SYMBOL(rtnl_nla_parse_ifla);
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(rtnl_nla_parse_ifinfomsg);
 
 struct net *rtnl_link_get_net(struct net *src_net, struct nlattr *tb[])
 {