CVE-2026-72184

Received Received - Intake

Memory Leak in Linux Kernel NTFS Filesystem

Publication date: 2026-08-15

Last updated on: 2026-08-17

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ntfs: fix hole runlist memory leak in insert range error path ntfs_non_resident_attr_insert_range() allocates hole_rl before mapping the whole runlist. If ntfs_attr_map_whole_runlist() fails, the error path drops ni->runlist.lock and returns without freeing hole_rl. This leaks memory of sizeof(*hole_rl) * 2 bytes. Fix this memory leak by freeing hole_rl before returning from that error path, matching the later error paths in the same function.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-08-15

Last Modified

2026-08-17

Generated

2026-09-04

AI Q&A

2026-08-15

EPSS Evaluated

2026-09-03

NVD

CVE-2026-72184

EUVD

EUVD-2026-58942

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
linux	kernel	*

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This is a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's NTFS file system driver. When inserting a range into a non-resident attribute, the code allocates memory for a hole runlist. If an error occurs during runlist mapping, the memory is not freed before exiting the function, causing a leak of approximately 2 times the size of the hole_rl structure.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's NTFS file system implementation and involves a memory leak in the ntfs_non_resident_attr_insert_range function. Detection requires checking for memory leaks in kernel memory related to NTFS operations. Use kernel memory debugging tools like kmemleak or check system logs for memory allocation failures.

Impact Analysis

The impact is primarily on system stability and resource usage. A memory leak can gradually consume available memory, leading to performance degradation or system crashes over time if the affected function is called repeatedly.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability is a memory leak in the Linux kernel's NTFS driver, which does not directly impact compliance with standards like GDPR or HIPAA. Memory leaks are primarily performance and availability issues rather than data privacy or security risks.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest Linux kernel patches that include the fix for this vulnerability. Monitor system memory usage for leaks and restart affected services if unusual memory consumption is detected. Ensure your distribution's package manager is updated to pull in the patched kernel version.

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