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CVE-2026-72194 (GCVE-0-2026-72194)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2026-08-15 05:53 – Updated: 2026-08-17 05:41
VLAI
Title
fs/ntfs3: add depth limit to indx_find_buffer to prevent stack overflow
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fs/ntfs3: add depth limit to indx_find_buffer to prevent stack overflow indx_find_buffer() recursively descends the B+ tree index with no depth limit. A crafted NTFS image with circular index node references causes unbounded recursion, overflowing the kernel stack and panicking the system. This is reachable by mounting a malicious NTFS filesystem (e.g. from a USB drive via desktop automount) and deleting a file whose index entry triggers the rebalancing fallback path in indx_delete_entry(). Add a depth parameter and bail out with -EINVAL when it reaches the fnd->nodes array bound, matching the constraint already enforced by fnd_push() in indx_find(). The related function indx_find() was previously patched for a similar infinite-loop issue (commit 1732053c8a6b), but indx_find_buffer() was missed.
Severity
9.8 (Critical)
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Assigner
References
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version CPE status
Linux Linux Affected: 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 , < 99031d4f63c785d2a985b6a4c64c4256f7117052 (git)
Affected: 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 , < 65357a81f64cb3fbe13b4b937586755e4b3a072f (git)
Affected: 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 , < 96fb64f9da86fd2dbd78fbe9d9e41ae27e12ce34 (git)
Affected: 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 , < 78612f478f9fadcec4f9b3b089970da67ffb47e9 (git)
Affected: 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 , < 908c9243ba309997b73cbda3e4c563d0fb345ee9 (git)
Affected: 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 , < fdf50c788e0991e42a187ff75479a0df7fb752f1 (git)
Affected: 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 , < 1ebd684b8f627f75bc3e03f8b2ad8400fd1f02cd (git)
guessed Create a notification for this product.
Linux Linux Affected: 5.15
Unaffected: 0 , < 5.15 (semver)
Unaffected: 5.15.212 , ≤ 5.15.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.1.178 , ≤ 6.1.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.6.145 , ≤ 6.6.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.12.97 , ≤ 6.12.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.18.40 , ≤ 6.18.* (semver)
Unaffected: 7.1.5 , ≤ 7.1.* (semver)
Unaffected: 7.2 , ≤ * (original_commit_for_fix)
guessed Create a notification for this product.
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{
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          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "product": "Linux",
          "programFiles": [
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          "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nfs/ntfs3: add depth limit to indx_find_buffer to prevent stack overflow\n\nindx_find_buffer() recursively descends the B+ tree index with no depth\nlimit.  A crafted NTFS image with circular index node references causes\nunbounded recursion, overflowing the kernel stack and panicking the\nsystem.\n\nThis is reachable by mounting a malicious NTFS filesystem (e.g. from a\nUSB drive via desktop automount) and deleting a file whose index entry\ntriggers the rebalancing fallback path in indx_delete_entry().\n\nAdd a depth parameter and bail out with -EINVAL when it reaches the\nfnd-\u003enodes array bound, matching the constraint already enforced by\nfnd_push() in indx_find().\n\nThe related function indx_find() was previously patched for a similar\ninfinite-loop issue (commit 1732053c8a6b), but indx_find_buffer() was\nmissed."
        }
      ],
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            "baseSeverity": "CRITICAL",
            "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
            "version": "3.1"
          },
          "scenarios": [
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              "value": "AV:N - ntfs3 registers export_operations; on NAS/hybrid servers exporting an NTFS volume via nfsd or ksmbd, a remote client\u0027s unlink reaches vfs_unlink\u2192ntfs_unlink_inode\u2192ni_remove_name\u2192indx_delete_entry\u2192indx_find_buffer without any local syscall from the attacker.\nAC:L - The attacker fully controls on-disk INDEX_ENTRY VCN pointers and can craft circular B+ tree references so indx_find_buffer() recurses deterministically until stack exhaustion; no race, special heap layout, or other uncontrollable condition is required beyond presenting the image and issuing unlink.\nPR:N - Exploitation requires only supplying a malicious NTFS image later mounted by root/udisks2/automount, or write permission on an NFS/SMB-exported NTFS share (including guest/anonymous write); no init-namespace root, CAP_SYS_ADMIN, or other elevated host credentials are needed on the trigger path.\nUI:N - Once an administrator has mounted and optionally exported the NTFS volume\u2014or desktop/kiosk automount has attached removable media\u2014the attacker issues unlink directly; no further victim clicks, file opens, or cooperative actions beyond that standing configuration are required.\nS:U - Impact is kernel stack overflow and panic within the host kernel\u0027s security authority; this is standard local or network filesystem exploitation, not a VM escape, IOMMU bypass, or cross-scope sandbox breakout.\nC:H - Unbounded recursion overflows the kernel stack, corrupting stack memory before the guard-page fault; under overestimation guidance, kernel stack corruption is treated as potentially enabling arbitrary kernel memory disclosure or information leakage via control-data overwrite.\nI:H - Recursive stack exhaustion corrupts return addresses and adjacent stack frames on the kernel stack, plausibly enabling control-flow hijack or arbitrary kernel modification even though the immediate failure mode is a panic.\nA:H - The fix commit and call path confirm unbounded recursion overflows the kernel stack and panics the system; any kernel oops, stack guard fault, or panic from this path scores Availability High."
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2026-08-17T05:41:20.799Z",
        "orgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
        "shortName": "Linux"
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          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/65357a81f64cb3fbe13b4b937586755e4b3a072f"
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      "title": "fs/ntfs3: add depth limit to indx_find_buffer to prevent stack overflow",
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    "cveId": "CVE-2026-72194",
    "datePublished": "2026-08-15T05:53:54.125Z",
    "dateReserved": "2026-08-09T03:40:39.911Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-08-17T05:41:20.799Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
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      "date": "2026-09-19",
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            "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nfs/ntfs3: add depth limit to indx_find_buffer to prevent stack overflow\n\nindx_find_buffer() recursively descends the B+ tree index with no depth\nlimit.  A crafted NTFS image with circular index node references causes\nunbounded recursion, overflowing the kernel stack and panicking the\nsystem.\n\nThis is reachable by mounting a malicious NTFS filesystem (e.g. from a\nUSB drive via desktop automount) and deleting a file whose index entry\ntriggers the rebalancing fallback path in indx_delete_entry().\n\nAdd a depth parameter and bail out with -EINVAL when it reaches the\nfnd-\u003enodes array bound, matching the constraint already enforced by\nfnd_push() in indx_find().\n\nThe related function indx_find() was previously patched for a similar\ninfinite-loop issue (commit 1732053c8a6b), but indx_find_buffer() was\nmissed."
          }
        ],
        "id": "CVE-2026-72194",
        "lastModified": "2026-08-17T06:18:20.070",
        "metrics": {
          "cvssMetricV31": [
            {
              "cvssData": {
                "attackComplexity": "LOW",
                "attackVector": "NETWORK",
                "availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
                "baseScore": 9.8,
                "baseSeverity": "CRITICAL",
                "confidentialityImpact": "HIGH",
                "integrityImpact": "HIGH",
                "privilegesRequired": "NONE",
                "scope": "UNCHANGED",
                "userInteraction": "NONE",
                "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
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              "impactScore": 5.9,
              "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
              "type": "Secondary"
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        "published": "2026-08-15T06:21:37.943",
        "references": [
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          },
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            "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fdf50c788e0991e42a187ff75479a0df7fb752f1"
          }
        ],
        "sourceIdentifier": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
        "vulnStatus": "Received"
      }
    },
    "redhat_vex": {
      "aggregate_severity": "Moderate",
      "current_release_date": "2026-08-18T15:32:59+00:00",
      "cve": "CVE-2026-72194",
      "id": "CVE-2026-72194",
      "initial_release_date": "2026-08-15T00:00:00+00:00",
      "product_status:known_not_affected": "274",
      "source": "Red Hat CSAF VEX",
      "status": "final",
      "title": "kernel: fs/ntfs3: add depth limit to indx_find_buffer to prevent stack overflow",
      "url": "https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-72194.json",
      "version": "3"
    },
    "suse_vex": {
      "aggregate_severity": "moderate",
      "current_release_date": "2026-09-15T01:28:11Z",
      "cve": "CVE-2026-72194",
      "id": "CVE-2026-72194",
      "initial_release_date": "2026-08-21T00:42:44Z",
      "product_status:known_affected": "123",
      "product_status:known_not_affected": "239",
      "source": "SUSE CSAF VEX",
      "status": "interim",
      "title": "SUSE CVE CVE-2026-72194",
      "url": "https://ftp.suse.com/pub/projects/security/csaf-vex/cve-2026-72194.json",
      "version": "5"
    }
  }
}



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Forecast uses a logistic model when the trend is rising, or an exponential decay model when the trend is falling. Fitted via linearized least squares.

Sightings

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Nomenclature

  • Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
  • Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
  • Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
  • Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
  • Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.


Detection rules are retrieved from Rulezet.


Related by attack behaviour

Vulnerabilities whose description is nearest to this one in the vector space of the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-biencoder model. This is a similarity search over the bi-encoder space (plain cosine), not a classification, and it has no measured accuracy.