CVE-2026-72197
Received Received - Intake

Buffer Overflow in Linux Kernel NTFS3

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-72197, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-08-15

Last updated on: 2026-08-15

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fs/ntfs3: bound DeleteIndexEntryAllocation memmove length In do_action()'s DeleteIndexEntryAllocation case, e->size comes from an on-disk INDEX_BUFFER entry. When e->size makes e + e->size point past hdr + hdr->used, PtrOffset(e1, Add2Ptr(hdr, used)) returns a negative ptrdiff_t that is silently cast to a quasi-infinite size_t when passed to memmove(). The memmove then walks past the destination buffer. The sibling DeleteIndexEntryRoot case at fslog.c:3540-3543 already carries the corresponding guard: if (PtrOffset(e1, Add2Ptr(hdr, used)) < esize || Add2Ptr(e, esize) > Add2Ptr(lrh, rec_len) || used + esize > le32_to_cpu(hdr->total)) { goto dirty_vol; } Apply the same shape to the allocation-path case. Also reject esize == 0: memmove(e, e, ...) is a no-op and leaves hdr->used unchanged, hiding a malformed entry from the existing check_index_header() walk. Reproduced under UML+KASAN on mainline 8d90b09e6741 by mounting a crafted NTFS image: the unguarded memmove takes a length of 0xffffffffffffff00 and the kernel oopses in memmove+0x81/0x1a0 on the do_action+0x36a2 frame. [almaz.alexandrovich@paragon-software.com: clang-formatted the changes]

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-15
Last Modified
2026-08-15
Generated
2026-08-15
AI Q&A
2026-08-15
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
EUVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux linux_kernel *

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

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Executive Summary

This is a memory corruption vulnerability in the Linux kernel's NTFS3 file system driver. It occurs when processing NTFS index entries during file operations. A crafted NTFS image can trigger a memmove operation with an extremely large size parameter derived from untrusted on-disk data. This causes the kernel to write past the intended memory buffer, leading to potential crashes or arbitrary code execution.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's NTFS3 filesystem driver and requires examining kernel memory or filesystem structures. Detection typically involves checking kernel logs for crashes or using tools like KASAN (Kernel Address Sanitizer) to identify memory corruption. No direct network detection commands are applicable.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, this vulnerability could allow an attacker with access to mount a malicious NTFS filesystem to crash the system or execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges. This could lead to denial of service, privilege escalation, or data corruption on affected systems running vulnerable Linux kernels.

Mitigation Strategies

Update your Linux kernel to the latest stable version that includes the fix for this NTFS3 vulnerability. Avoid mounting untrusted NTFS filesystems until patched. Monitor kernel logs for crashes related to NTFS3 operations.

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