CVE-2026-72188
ntfs: sanitize MFT references returned from ntfs_lookup_inode_by_name()
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ntfs: sanitize MFT references returned from ntfs_lookup_inode_by_name() ntfs_lookup_inode_by_name() returns MFT references read from directory index entries on disk. These values are untrusted, but the function can currently return an error-marked MFT reference to its callers without validating it. Callers later decode lookup failures with MREF_ERR(). A crafted NTFS image can set the MREF error bit while leaving the low bits as an arbitrary value, causing callers to consume a bogus pseudo-errno instead of treating the lookup result as corrupted on-disk metadata. Fix this at the source by normalizing every error-marked MFT reference returned from ntfs_lookup_inode_by_name() to ERR_MREF(-EIO). Apply this to all four directory lookup return paths so every caller gets a validated result without needing additional checks or an API change. This keeps the sanitization in the common lookup helper, which is cleaner than duplicating validation in each caller.
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
- Apply the patch to normalize error-marked MFT references.
- Ensure callers receive validated lookup results.
- Validate MFT references at the source.
- Normalize MFT references to ERR_MREF(-EIO).
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-2026-72188.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/83f396d881c4fd312c7fd5fff2c157fc21104464 | |
| https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d97a36bae86a9a4021562ded2987f904e6bcb1d7 |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-72188 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-2026-72188
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-2026-72188 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-72188 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': '1e9ea7e04472d4e5e12e58c881eaacfb3e49b669', 'lessThan': '83f396d881c4fd312c7fd5fff2c157fc21104464', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '1e9ea7e04472d4e5e12e58c881eaacfb3e49b669', 'lessThan': 'd97a36bae86a9a4021562ded2987f904e6bcb1d7', 'versionType': 'git'}], 'programFiles': ['fs/ntfs/dir.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/dir.c'], 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}] [{'repo': 'https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git', 'vendor': 'Linux', 'product': 'Linux', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '1e9ea7e04472d4e5e12e58c881eaacfb3e49b669', 'lessThan': '83f396d881c4fd312c7fd5fff2c157fc21104464', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '1e9ea7e04472d4e5e12e58c881eaacfb3e49b669', 'lessThan': 'd97a36bae86a9a4021562ded2987f904e6bcb1d7', 'versionType': 'git'}], 'programFiles': ['fs/ntfs/dir.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/dir.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': '1e9ea7e04472d4e5e12e58c881eaacfb3e49b669', 'lessThan': '83f396d881c4fd312c7fd5fff2c157fc21104464', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '1e9ea7e04472d4e5e12e58c881eaacfb3e49b669', 'lessThan': 'd97a36bae86a9a4021562ded2987f904e6bcb1d7', 'versionType': 'git'}], 'programFiles': ['fs/ntfs/dir.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/dir.c'], 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}] Added Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ntfs: sanitize MFT references returned from ntfs_lookup_inode_by_name() ntfs_lookup_inode_by_name() returns MFT references read from directory index entries on disk. These values are untrusted, but the function can currently return an error-marked MFT reference to its callers without validating it. Callers later decode lookup failures with MREF_ERR(). A crafted NTFS image can set the MREF error bit while leaving the low bits as an arbitrary value, causing callers to consume a bogus pseudo-errno instead of treating the lookup result as corrupted on-disk metadata. Fix this at the source by normalizing every error-marked MFT reference returned from ntfs_lookup_inode_by_name() to ERR_MREF(-EIO). Apply this to all four directory lookup return paths so every caller gets a validated result without needing additional checks or an API change. This keeps the sanitization in the common lookup helper, which is cleaner than duplicating validation in each caller. Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/83f396d881c4fd312c7fd5fff2c157fc21104464 Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d97a36bae86a9a4021562ded2987f904e6bcb1d7