diff --git a/kernel/sysctl_binary.c b/kernel/sysctl_binary.c
index d7af6a3d3c5..02578a3f2df 100644
--- a/kernel/sysctl_binary.c
+++ b/kernel/sysctl_binary.c
@@ -1383,7 +1383,7 @@ static void deprecated_sysctl_warning(const int *name, int nlen)
 	 * CTL_KERN/KERN_VERSION is used by older glibc and cannot
 	 * ever go away.
 	 */
-	if (name[0] == CTL_KERN && name[1] == KERN_VERSION)
+	if (nlen >= 2 && name[0] == CTL_KERN && name[1] == KERN_VERSION)
 		return;
 
 	if (printk_ratelimit()) {