CVE-2026-72199

Received Received - Intake

NTFS Resident Index Root Validation Flaw

Publication date: 2026-08-15

Last updated on: 2026-08-18

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ntfs: validate resident index root values on lookup Resident $INDEX_ROOT values carry index header fields that callers consume after lookup. Some callers already validate parts of the layout before walking entries, but those checks are scattered and do not cover all root header invariants, such as entries_offset alignment and lower bound, index_length, and allocated_size consistency. The resident root resize paths now keep these header fields consistent while the value size changes: ntfs_ir_truncate() lowers index.allocated_size before shrinking the resident value, and ntfs_ir_reparent() grows the resident value before publishing a larger root header. Lookup-time validation can therefore cover these invariants without tripping over the driver's own resize paths. Add $INDEX_ROOT to the minimum resident value size table and validate the resident index header fields before returning the attribute from lookup. Require 8-byte aligned index header fields, a sane entries_offset, an index_length within allocated_size, allocated_size within the resident value, and enough entry space for at least an index entry header. The shared validator already rejects non-resident records for resident-only attribute types, including $INDEX_ROOT.

CVSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-08-15

Last Modified

2026-08-18

Generated

2026-09-04

AI Q&A

2026-08-15

EPSS Evaluated

2026-09-03

NVD

CVE-2026-72199

EUVD

EUVD-2026-58957

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
linux_kernel	linux_kernel	*

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel involves improper validation of resident index root values in the NTFS file system. The issue occurs when certain fields in the index header are not properly checked during lookup operations, potentially leading to memory corruption or crashes due to misaligned or inconsistent data structures.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's NTFS filesystem driver and requires kernel-level inspection. Detection involves checking kernel logs for filesystem errors or crashes related to NTFS operations. Use commands like dmesg | grep ntfs or journalctl -k | grep ntfs to review kernel logs for NTFS-related errors.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could allow an attacker with local access to cause a denial of service (system crash) or potentially execute arbitrary code on affected systems by exploiting malformed NTFS metadata. It primarily affects systems using NTFS file systems with specific index root structures.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability does not directly affect compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, or similar standards as it pertains to a specific filesystem driver issue in the Linux kernel. Compliance impacts would depend on system configuration and usage rather than this technical flaw.

Mitigation Strategies

Immediate mitigation involves updating the Linux kernel to a patched version that includes the fix for this NTFS vulnerability. Check your distribution's package manager for kernel updates (e.g., apt upgrade linux-image-generic or dnf upgrade kernel). Avoid using NTFS filesystems until the kernel is updated.

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