diff -up net-tools-2.0/lib/interface.c.long_iface net-tools-2.0/lib/interface.c
--- net-tools-2.0/lib/interface.c.long_iface	2012-10-04 11:35:27.983694933 +0200
+++ net-tools-2.0/lib/interface.c	2012-10-04 11:35:27.991694805 +0200
@@ -216,6 +216,7 @@ out:
 
 char *get_name(char **namep, char *p)
 {
+    int count = 0;
     while (isspace(*p))
 	p++;
     char *name = *namep = p;
@@ -224,7 +225,13 @@ char *get_name(char **namep, char *p)
 	    break;
 	if (*p == ':') {	/* could be an alias */
 		char *dot = p++;
- 		while (*p && isdigit(*p)) p++;
+		count++;
+		while (*p && isdigit(*p)) {
+		    p++;
+		    count++;
+		    if (count == (IFNAMSIZ-1))
+			break;
+		}
 		if (*p == ':') {
 			/* Yes it is, backup and copy it. */
 			p = dot;
@@ -240,6 +247,9 @@ char *get_name(char **namep, char *p)
 	    break;
 	}
 	*name++ = *p++;
+	count++;
+	if (count == (IFNAMSIZ-1))
+    	      break;
     }
     *name++ = '\0';
     return p;