CVE-2026-80674
Received Received - Intake

Memory Corruption in Linux Kernel NTFS Driver

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-80674, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-08-28

Last updated on: 2026-08-28

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ntfs: validate resident attribute lists and harden the validator A base inode's $ATTRIBUTE_LIST is sanity-checked by load_attribute_list() only on the non-resident path; ntfs_read_locked_inode() copies a *resident* attribute list into ni->attr_list with a plain memcpy() and no validation at all. Every subsequent walk of ni->attr_list -- ntfs_external_attr_find(), ntfs_inode_attach_all_extents() and ntfs_attrlist_need() -- then trusts the entries are well-formed and reads attr_list_entry fixed-header fields (lowest_vcn at offset 8, mft_reference at offset 16, and the name) with bounds that assume validation already happened. A crafted resident attribute list therefore reaches those walks unvalidated and can drive out-of-bounds reads of the attribute-list buffer. load_attribute_list() itself reads ale->name_offset (offset 7), ale->mft_reference (offset 16) and the name length under only an "al < al_start + size" bound, so its own validation loop can over-read the fixed header of a truncated trailing entry by a few bytes. Factor the per-entry validation into ntfs_attr_list_entry_is_valid(), which requires each entry's fixed header (offsetof(struct attr_list_entry, name)) to be in range before any field is dereferenced, that ale->length is a multiple of 8 covering the fixed header plus the name, and that the entry is in use and carries a live MFT reference. ntfs_attr_list_is_valid() walks the buffer with it and checks the entries tile it exactly. Use the list validator in load_attribute_list() (replacing the open-coded loop, closing its own over-read) and on the resident path in ntfs_read_locked_inode() (which previously skipped validation entirely); patches 2/3 reuse the per-entry helper at the other two attribute-list walks.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
Percentile:

Meta Information

Published
2026-08-28
Last Modified
2026-08-28
Generated
2026-08-28
AI Q&A
2026-08-28
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
EUVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Currently, no data is known.

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
CWE Icon
KEV
KEV Icon
CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

AI Quick Actions

Instant insights powered by AI
Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel involves improper validation of resident attribute lists in the NTFS file system. When an inode's attribute list is resident, it is copied without validation and later trusted by multiple functions. A crafted resident attribute list can cause out-of-bounds reads in these functions due to unchecked fixed-header fields.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's NTFS filesystem handling. Detection requires checking for unpatched kernel versions or filesystem corruption. Use commands like 'uname -a' to check kernel version and 'dmesg | grep ntfs' to look for NTFS-related errors. No direct network detection commands are applicable.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could allow an attacker to trigger out-of-bounds memory reads by providing a maliciously crafted NTFS file system. This may lead to system crashes, data corruption, or potential privilege escalation if exploited.

Mitigation Strategies

Update your Linux kernel to the latest patched version immediately. Avoid using NTFS filesystems from untrusted sources. If NTFS is required, ensure all filesystems are validated before mounting. Monitor kernel logs for NTFS-related errors after updates.

Chat Assistant

Ask questions about this CVE
Hi! I’m here to help you understand CVE-2026-80674. Ask me anything about the vulnerability, its impact, or mitigation strategies.
0/70

EPSS Chart