diff --git a/net/sched/act_sample.c b/net/sched/act_sample.c
index 6b67aa13d2dd09..c7f5d630d97cff 100644
--- a/net/sched/act_sample.c
+++ b/net/sched/act_sample.c
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ static int tcf_sample_init(struct net *net, struct nlattr *nla,
 	struct tc_action_net *tn = net_generic(net, sample_net_id);
 	struct nlattr *tb[TCA_SAMPLE_MAX + 1];
 	struct psample_group *psample_group;
+	u32 psample_group_num, rate;
 	struct tc_sample *parm;
-	u32 psample_group_num;
 	struct tcf_sample *s;
 	bool exists = false;
 	int ret, err;
@@ -80,6 +80,12 @@ static int tcf_sample_init(struct net *net, struct nlattr *nla,
 		return -EEXIST;
 	}
 
+	rate = nla_get_u32(tb[TCA_SAMPLE_RATE]);
+	if (!rate) {
+		NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack, "invalid sample rate");
+		tcf_idr_release(*a, bind);
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
 	psample_group_num = nla_get_u32(tb[TCA_SAMPLE_PSAMPLE_GROUP]);
 	psample_group = psample_group_get(net, psample_group_num);
 	if (!psample_group) {
@@ -91,7 +97,7 @@ static int tcf_sample_init(struct net *net, struct nlattr *nla,
 
 	spin_lock_bh(&s->tcf_lock);
 	s->tcf_action = parm->action;
-	s->rate = nla_get_u32(tb[TCA_SAMPLE_RATE]);
+	s->rate = rate;
 	s->psample_group_num = psample_group_num;
 	RCU_INIT_POINTER(s->psample_group, psample_group);
 
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/tc-testing/tc-tests/actions/sample.json b/tools/testing/selftests/tc-testing/tc-tests/actions/sample.json
index 3aca33c0003961..618def9bdf0e58 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/tc-testing/tc-tests/actions/sample.json
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/tc-testing/tc-tests/actions/sample.json
@@ -143,6 +143,30 @@
             "$TC actions flush action sample"
         ]
     },
+    {
+        "id": "7571",
+        "name": "Add sample action with invalid rate",
+        "category": [
+            "actions",
+            "sample"
+        ],
+        "setup": [
+            [
+                "$TC actions flush action sample",
+                0,
+                1,
+                255
+            ]
+        ],
+        "cmdUnderTest": "$TC actions add action sample rate 0 group 1 index 2",
+        "expExitCode": "255",
+        "verifyCmd": "$TC actions get action sample index 2",
+        "matchPattern": "action order [0-9]+: sample rate 1/0 group 1.*index 2 ref",
+        "matchCount": "0",
+        "teardown": [
+            "$TC actions flush action sample"
+        ]
+    },
     {
         "id": "b6d4",
         "name": "Add sample action with mandatory arguments and invalid control action",