diff --git a/include/linux/netfilter/x_tables.h b/include/linux/netfilter/x_tables.h
index 547a5846e6ac..ee7b41359ca6 100644
--- a/include/linux/netfilter/x_tables.h
+++ b/include/linux/netfilter/x_tables.h
@@ -248,6 +248,8 @@ extern int xt_check_match(struct xt_mtchk_param *,
 extern int xt_check_target(struct xt_tgchk_param *,
 			   unsigned int size, u_int8_t proto, bool inv_proto);
 
+int xt_check_proc_name(const char *name, unsigned int size);
+
 void *xt_copy_counters_from_user(const void __user *user, unsigned int len,
 				 struct xt_counters_info *info, bool compat);
 
diff --git a/net/netfilter/x_tables.c b/net/netfilter/x_tables.c
index 94a43e17bc73..4470413a6dc9 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/x_tables.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/x_tables.c
@@ -380,6 +380,36 @@ textify_hooks(char *buf, size_t size, unsigned int mask, uint8_t nfproto)
 	return buf;
 }
 
+/**
+ * xt_check_proc_name - check that name is suitable for /proc file creation
+ *
+ * @name: file name candidate
+ * @size: length of buffer
+ *
+ * some x_tables modules wish to create a file in /proc.
+ * This function makes sure that the name is suitable for this
+ * purpose, it checks that name is NUL terminated and isn't a 'special'
+ * name, like "..".
+ *
+ * returns negative number on error or 0 if name is useable.
+ */
+int xt_check_proc_name(const char *name, unsigned int size)
+{
+	if (name[0] == '\0')
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	if (strnlen(name, size) == size)
+		return -ENAMETOOLONG;
+
+	if (strcmp(name, ".") == 0 ||
+	    strcmp(name, "..") == 0 ||
+	    strchr(name, '/'))
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(xt_check_proc_name);
+
 int xt_check_match(struct xt_mtchk_param *par,
 		   unsigned int size, u_int8_t proto, bool inv_proto)
 {
diff --git a/net/netfilter/xt_hashlimit.c b/net/netfilter/xt_hashlimit.c
index 9ff035c71403..559ec7f90b52 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/xt_hashlimit.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/xt_hashlimit.c
@@ -664,8 +664,9 @@ static int hashlimit_mt_check(const struct xt_mtchk_param *par)
 
 	if (info->cfg.gc_interval == 0 || info->cfg.expire == 0)
 		return -EINVAL;
-	if (info->name[sizeof(info->name)-1] != '\0')
-		return -EINVAL;
+	ret = xt_check_proc_name(info->name, sizeof(info->name));
+	if (ret)
+		return ret;
 	if (par->family == NFPROTO_IPV4) {
 		if (info->cfg.srcmask > 32 || info->cfg.dstmask > 32)
 			return -EINVAL;
diff --git a/net/netfilter/xt_recent.c b/net/netfilter/xt_recent.c
index 1e657cf715c4..db76207bcc4b 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/xt_recent.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/xt_recent.c
@@ -358,9 +358,9 @@ static int recent_mt_check(const struct xt_mtchk_param *par,
 			info->hit_count, ip_pkt_list_tot);
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
-	if (info->name[0] == '\0' ||
-	    strnlen(info->name, XT_RECENT_NAME_LEN) == XT_RECENT_NAME_LEN)
-		return -EINVAL;
+	ret = xt_check_proc_name(info->name, sizeof(info->name));
+	if (ret)
+		return ret;
 
 	mutex_lock(&recent_mutex);
 	t = recent_table_lookup(recent_net, info->name);