Critical severity · published Aug 15, 2026
CVE-2026-72211
ntfs: grow index root value before reparent header update
9.8
CVSS
0.6%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
ntfs: grow index root value before reparent header update
ntfs_ir_reparent() moves the resident index root entries into an index
block and leaves a small root stub containing the child VCN. That root
stub can be larger than the existing resident value. For example, an
empty root with value_length 48 has an index area of 32 bytes, while the
large-index root stub needs index_length and allocated_size of 40 bytes.
The current code publishes the larger index.index_length and
index.allocated_size before resizing the resident value. If the resize
returns -ENOSPC, the recovery path can call ntfs_inode_add_attrlist(),
which looks attributes up again while the root header says
allocated_size 40 but the resident value still only provides 32 bytes of
index area. Lookup-time $INDEX_ROOT validation then correctly rejects
that transient layout as corrupt.
This reproduces as a generic/013 failure under qemu. In the failing run,
the transient root had value_len=48, index_size=32, index_length=40, and
allocated_size=40, and ntfsprogs-plus ntfsck reported "Corrupt index
root in MFT record 1177".
When the root stub grows, resize the resident value before publishing the
larger root header. If the resize fails, the old root remains valid for
recovery lookups. Keep the existing header-before-resize ordering for
shrink or same-size cases so the resident value never temporarily
exposes an allocated_size beyond its bounds.
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)0.6% · higher than 46% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
LI
Linux · Linux
0a8ac0c1fa0b99a5b29002bc7f232ed7eafddef0 before 38d444271604afc6381ddb5a181e391915c35fae; 0a8ac0c1fa0b99a5b29002bc7f232ed7eafddef0 before 0bb508fb3b97e4802ec727fd2af4d608f65dd190; 7.1 · source: vendor
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-72211
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-72211
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0bb508fb3b97e4802ec727fd2af4d608f65dd190
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/38d444271604afc6381ddb5a181e391915c35fae
More from Linux
9.8
CVE-2025-39682
tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list
8.8
CVE-2026-53266
netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable
7.8
CVE-2026-53362
ipv6: account for fraggap on the paged allocation path
7.8
CVE-2026-31431
crypto: algif_aead - Revert to operating out-of-place
7.8
CVE-2025-38352
posix-cpu-timers: fix race between handle_posix_cpu_timers() and posix_cpu_timer_del()
