Critical severity · published Aug 15, 2026
CVE-2026-72194
fs/ntfs3: add depth limit to indx_find_buffer to prevent stack overflow
9.8
CVSS
0.8%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
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.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.8% · higher than 56% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
LI
Linux · Linux
82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 before 99031d4f63c785d2a985b6a4c64c4256f7117052; 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 before 65357a81f64cb3fbe13b4b937586755e4b3a072f; 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 before 96fb64f9da86fd2dbd78fbe9d9e41ae27e12ce34; 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 before 78612f478f9fadcec4f9b3b089970da67ffb47e9; 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 before 908c9243ba309997b73cbda3e4c563d0fb345ee9; 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 before fdf50c788e0991e42a187ff75479a0df7fb752f1; +2 more · source: vendor
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-72194
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-72194
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1ebd684b8f627f75bc3e03f8b2ad8400fd1f02cd
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/65357a81f64cb3fbe13b4b937586755e4b3a072f
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/78612f478f9fadcec4f9b3b089970da67ffb47e9
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/908c9243ba309997b73cbda3e4c563d0fb345ee9
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/96fb64f9da86fd2dbd78fbe9d9e41ae27e12ce34
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/99031d4f63c785d2a985b6a4c64c4256f7117052
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