CVE-2026-42618
Awaiting Analysis Awaiting Analysis - Queue

Heap Buffer Overflow in NTFS-3G

Publication date: 2026-10-07

Last updated on: 2026-10-07

Assigner: MITRE

Description
In NTFS-3G before 2026.7.7, a heap buffer overflow exists in ntfs_decompress() in compress.c that allows an attacker to corrupt one byte of heap memory in the SUID-root ntfs-3g binary by crafting a malicious NTFS image. The overflow is triggered by reading the special crafted file.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
Percentile:

Meta Information

Published
2026-10-07
Last Modified
2026-10-07
Generated
2026-10-07
AI Q&A
2026-10-07
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-42618
EUVD
EUVD-2026-94357

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
n/a n/a n/a

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
CWE Icon
KEV
KEV Icon
CWE ID Description
CWE-122 A heap overflow condition is a buffer overflow, where the buffer that can be overwritten is allocated in the heap portion of memory, generally meaning that the buffer was allocated using a routine such as malloc().
CWE-193 A product calculates or uses an incorrect maximum or minimum value that is 1 more, or 1 less, than the correct value.

Attack-Flow Graph

AI Quick Actions

Instant insights powered by AI
Executive Summary

CVE-2026-42618 is a heap buffer overflow in NTFS-3G's ntfs_decompress() function in compress.c. It occurs when processing a malicious NTFS image with a specially crafted compressed file. The overflow corrupts one byte of heap memory in the SUID-root ntfs-3g binary.

Detection Guidance

To detect this vulnerability, check the installed version of NTFS-3G using the command 'ntfs-3g --version' or 'dpkg -l ntfs-3g' on Debian-based systems. If the version is 2026.2.25 or earlier, the system is vulnerable. Additionally, monitor for suspicious NTFS images or compressed files that may trigger the heap overflow.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability allows an attacker with local access to corrupt memory in the ntfs-3g binary, potentially leading to crashes, privilege escalation, or arbitrary code execution. It requires no additional privileges or user interaction to exploit.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could potentially impact compliance with GDPR and HIPAA by compromising data integrity and availability. A successful exploit may allow attackers to corrupt memory in the SUID-root ntfs-3g binary, which could lead to unauthorized data access or system instability. Such disruptions may violate integrity requirements under these regulations.

Mitigation Strategies

Immediately update NTFS-3G to version 2026.7.7 or later. If updating is not possible, avoid mounting NTFS volumes with compressed files. Remove SUID-root permissions from ntfs-3g as a temporary workaround, but note this may break functionality.

Chat Assistant

Ask questions about this CVE
Hi! I’m here to help you understand CVE-2026-42618. Ask me anything about the vulnerability, its impact, or mitigation strategies.
0/70

EPSS Chart