CVE-2026-72194: fs/ntfs3: add depth limit to indx_find_buffer to prevent stack overflow
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 39/100)
- The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.79% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 56.7% of all records.
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. No account or password is required. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
- According to CISA the attack is automatable: targets can be found by mass scanning.
- Fixed version: Linux Linux 1ebd684b8f627f75bc3e03f8b2ad8400fd1f02cd, 65357a81f64cb3fbe13b4b937586755e4b3a072f, 78612f478f9fadcec4f9b3b089970da67ffb47e9.
Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 1ebd684b8f627f75bc3e03f8b2ad8400fd1f02cd, 65357a81f64cb3fbe13b4b937586755e4b3a072f, 78612f478f9fadcec4f9b3b089970da67ffb47e9 or later.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS
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.
- Published
- Aug 15, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.7% · 56th percentile
- CWE
- —
Report tools
Action score
39
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 39 / 40 · 9.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.7%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- none
- Automatable
- yes
- Technical impact
- total
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- —
- CNA · Linux
- 9.8
- NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- No public exploit code on record
- A fix has been released
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
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Noroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
—
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (Linux). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
Linux Linux
- 5.15affected
- 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 and later · before 99031d4f63c785d2a985b6a4c64c4256f7117052affected · git
- 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 and later · before 65357a81f64cb3fbe13b4b937586755e4b3a072faffected · git
- 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 and later · before 96fb64f9da86fd2dbd78fbe9d9e41ae27e12ce34affected · git
- 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 and later · before 78612f478f9fadcec4f9b3b089970da67ffb47e9affected · git
- 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 and later · before 908c9243ba309997b73cbda3e4c563d0fb345ee9affected · git
- 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 and later · before fdf50c788e0991e42a187ff75479a0df7fb752f1affected · git
- 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 and later · before 1ebd684b8f627f75bc3e03f8b2ad8400fd1f02cdaffected · git
- before 5.15not affected · semver
- 5.15.212 and later · up to and including 5.15.*not affected · semver
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | linux | before 6.1.180-1 | 6.1.180-1 |
| Debian:13 | linux | before 6.12.100-1 | 6.12.100-1 |
| Debian:14 | linux | before 7.1.5-1 | 7.1.5-1 |
Same product
linux: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2026-74705udp: fix potential use-after-free in tunnel segmentation40Plan
- CVE-2026-74612veth: fix skb length accounting after XDP frag adjustment40Plan
- CVE-2026-74475vxlan: use neigh_ha_snapshot() in route_shortcircuit()40Plan
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2026-72192Aug 15, 2026 · ntfs3: bound to_move in indx_insert_into_root before hdr_insert_head39Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2026-72193Aug 15, 2026 · ntfs3: cap RESTART_TABLE free-chain walker at rt->used0Monitor
- Later →CVE-2026-72195Aug 15, 2026 · fs/ntfs3: bound attr_off in UpdateResidentValue against data_off31Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Linux Linux | 1ebd684b8f627f75bc3e03f8b2ad8400fd1f02cd | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | 65357a81f64cb3fbe13b4b937586755e4b3a072f | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | 78612f478f9fadcec4f9b3b089970da67ffb47e9 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | 908c9243ba309997b73cbda3e4c563d0fb345ee9 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | 96fb64f9da86fd2dbd78fbe9d9e41ae27e12ce34 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | 99031d4f63c785d2a985b6a4c64c4256f7117052 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | fdf50c788e0991e42a187ff75479a0df7fb752f1 | Vendor (CNA) |
| debian:linux | 6.1.180-1 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- No account or password is required.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- high · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
—
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
nvd-secondary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.
Change log
- SSVC exploitation— → none
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Show all references (6 more)Show less
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/65357a81f64cb3fbe13b4b937586755e4b3a072f
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/78612f478f9fadcec4f9b3b089970da67ffb47e9
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/908c9243ba309997b73cbda3e4c563d0fb345ee9
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/96fb64f9da86fd2dbd78fbe9d9e41ae27e12ce34
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/99031d4f63c785d2a985b6a4c64c4256f7117052
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/fdf50c788e0991e42a187ff75479a0df7fb752f1
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.