diff --git a/drivers/net/can/vxcan.c b/drivers/net/can/vxcan.c
index 282c53ef76d2..1bfede407270 100644
--- a/drivers/net/can/vxcan.c
+++ b/drivers/net/can/vxcan.c
@@ -179,12 +179,7 @@ static int vxcan_newlink(struct net *net, struct net_device *dev,
 
 		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;
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/veth.c b/drivers/net/veth.c
index 683425e3a353..a6445bba4f94 100644
--- a/drivers/net/veth.c
+++ b/drivers/net/veth.c
@@ -1255,10 +1255,7 @@ static int veth_newlink(struct net *src_net, struct net_device *dev,
 
 		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;
 
diff --git a/include/net/rtnetlink.h b/include/net/rtnetlink.h
index 4da61c950e93..5c2a73bbfabe 100644
--- a/include/net/rtnetlink.h
+++ b/include/net/rtnetlink.h
@@ -166,8 +166,8 @@ struct net_device *rtnl_create_link(struct net *net, const char *ifname,
 int rtnl_delete_link(struct net_device *dev);
 int rtnl_configure_link(struct net_device *dev, const struct ifinfomsg *ifm);
 
-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)
diff --git a/net/core/rtnetlink.c b/net/core/rtnetlink.c
index 3eaf7c706b0e..3dfdf83e6e45 100644
--- a/net/core/rtnetlink.c
+++ b/net/core/rtnetlink.c
@@ -2034,13 +2034,27 @@ out_err:
 	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[])
 {