CVE-2026-72186
ntfs: make system files immutable to prevent corruption
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ntfs: make system files immutable to prevent corruption When a system file such as $Bitmap is exposed via show_sys_files and written from userspace, the volume is corrupted and, because the cluster allocator scans $Bitmap through the same inode's page cache, a write to $Bitmap also deadlocks writeback against the folio it already holds locked. These files are maintained by the driver itself and have no valid reason to be written through the file interface. Mark base metadata files (mft_no < FILE_first_user) as immutable during inode read so the VFS rejects write, mmap, truncate and unlink with -EPERM. Directories are skipped so the root and $Extend remain usable. Internal metadata updates do not go through the VFS write path and are unaffected.
INFO
Published Date :
Aug. 15, 2026, 6:21 a.m.
Last Modified :
Aug. 17, 2026, 6:18 a.m.
Remotely Exploit :
Yes !
Source :
416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | CRITICAL | 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 |
Solution
- Update the Linux kernel to the latest version.
- Ensure system files are marked immutable.
- Monitor file access logs for unauthorized writes.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-72186.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8f313e92522ac41d273ea137db13ea8a8df2beed | |
| https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f72df3a4c33b64de3418ec74d1ad4f028e09d161 |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-72186 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-72186
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-72186 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-72186 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
CVE Modified by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Aug. 17, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added CVSS V3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H Changed Affected [{'repo': 'https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git', 'vendor': 'Linux', 'product': 'Linux', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': 'af0db57d4293cc9fe6ce99fb5592dc2652228c9d', 'lessThan': '8f313e92522ac41d273ea137db13ea8a8df2beed', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': 'af0db57d4293cc9fe6ce99fb5592dc2652228c9d', 'lessThan': 'f72df3a4c33b64de3418ec74d1ad4f028e09d161', 'versionType': 'git'}], 'programFiles': ['fs/ntfs/inode.c'], 'defaultStatus': 'unaffected'}, {'repo': 'https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git', 'vendor': 'Linux', 'product': 'Linux', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '7.1'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '0', 'lessThan': '7.1', 'versionType': 'semver'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '7.1.5', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '7.1.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '7.2-rc3', 'versionType': 'original_commit_for_fix', 'lessThanOrEqual': '*'}], 'programFiles': ['fs/ntfs/inode.c'], 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}] [{'repo': 'https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git', 'vendor': 'Linux', 'product': 'Linux', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': 'af0db57d4293cc9fe6ce99fb5592dc2652228c9d', 'lessThan': '8f313e92522ac41d273ea137db13ea8a8df2beed', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': 'af0db57d4293cc9fe6ce99fb5592dc2652228c9d', 'lessThan': 'f72df3a4c33b64de3418ec74d1ad4f028e09d161', 'versionType': 'git'}], 'programFiles': ['fs/ntfs/inode.c'], 'defaultStatus': 'unaffected'}, {'repo': 'https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git', 'vendor': 'Linux', 'product': 'Linux', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '7.1'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '0', 'lessThan': '7.1', 'versionType': 'semver'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '7.1.5', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '7.1.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '7.2', 'versionType': 'original_commit_for_fix', 'lessThanOrEqual': '*'}], 'programFiles': ['fs/ntfs/inode.c'], 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}] -
New CVE Received by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Aug. 15, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Affected [{'repo': 'https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git', 'vendor': 'Linux', 'product': 'Linux', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': 'af0db57d4293cc9fe6ce99fb5592dc2652228c9d', 'lessThan': '8f313e92522ac41d273ea137db13ea8a8df2beed', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': 'af0db57d4293cc9fe6ce99fb5592dc2652228c9d', 'lessThan': 'f72df3a4c33b64de3418ec74d1ad4f028e09d161', 'versionType': 'git'}], 'programFiles': ['fs/ntfs/inode.c'], 'defaultStatus': 'unaffected'}, {'repo': 'https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git', 'vendor': 'Linux', 'product': 'Linux', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '7.1'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '0', 'lessThan': '7.1', 'versionType': 'semver'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '7.1.5', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '7.1.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '7.2-rc3', 'versionType': 'original_commit_for_fix', 'lessThanOrEqual': '*'}], 'programFiles': ['fs/ntfs/inode.c'], 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}] Added Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ntfs: make system files immutable to prevent corruption When a system file such as $Bitmap is exposed via show_sys_files and written from userspace, the volume is corrupted and, because the cluster allocator scans $Bitmap through the same inode's page cache, a write to $Bitmap also deadlocks writeback against the folio it already holds locked. These files are maintained by the driver itself and have no valid reason to be written through the file interface. Mark base metadata files (mft_no < FILE_first_user) as immutable during inode read so the VFS rejects write, mmap, truncate and unlink with -EPERM. Directories are skipped so the root and $Extend remain usable. Internal metadata updates do not go through the VFS write path and are unaffected. Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8f313e92522ac41d273ea137db13ea8a8df2beed Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f72df3a4c33b64de3418ec74d1ad4f028e09d161