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VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2025-68365: Linux kernel · fs/ntfs3: Initialize allocated memory before use

Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database

0

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 8.2 High · fixed in 5.15.0-1105.112~20.04.1 : patch Linux kernel soon.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 12:55 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
8.2High
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
EPSS
0.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 35% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch
Available – fixed in 5.15.0-1105.112~20.04.1, 5.15.0-1110.119~20.04.1, 5.15.0-1106.115~20.04.1 +73
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:H

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 24 Dec 2025

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq Mirage: no evidence on record.

    No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

What to do

Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.

Affected software

ProductAffectedFixed in
Ubuntu 25.10linuxpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux@6.17.0-22.22?arch=source&distro=questingOther threatsAffected
  • <6.17.0-22.22
Fixed in
  • 6.17.0-22.22
Ubuntu 25.10linux-awspkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws@6.17.0-1012.12?arch=source&distro=questingOther threatsAffected
  • <6.17.0-1012.12
Fixed in
  • 6.17.0-1012.12
Ubuntu 25.10linux-azurepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure@6.17.0-1013.13?arch=source&distro=questingOther threatsAffected
  • <6.17.0-1013.13
Fixed in
  • 6.17.0-1013.13
Ubuntu 25.10linux-azure-fdepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-fde@6.17.0-1017.17?arch=source&distro=questingOther threatsAffected
  • 6.17.0-1003.3 – 6.17.0-1017.17
10 affected builds
Fixed in–
Ubuntu 25.10linux-gcppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp@6.17.0-1012.12?arch=source&distro=questingOther threatsAffected
  • <6.17.0-1012.12
Fixed in
  • 6.17.0-1012.12
Ubuntu 25.10linux-oraclepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-oracle@6.17.0-1011.11?arch=source&distro=questingOther threatsAffected
  • <6.17.0-1011.11
Fixed in
  • 6.17.0-1011.11

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

A patch is available that replaces kmem_cache_alloc() with kmem_cache_zalloc() to ensure memory is zeroed before use. Users should update their Linux kernel to the fixed versions as provided by their distribution vendor. For Ubuntu users, the advisory USN-8162-1 provides updated kernel packages. After updating, a system reboot is required. No additional mitigation is necessary as the issue is resolved by the official fix.

Description

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's NTFS3 filesystem driver was resolved by ensuring allocated memory is properly initialized before use. The issue involved uninitialized memory usage detected by Kernel Memory Sanitizer (KMSAN) in functions such as ntfs_read_hdr and bcmp. This flaw was addressed by changing memory allocation from kmem_cache_alloc() to kmem_cache_zalloc(), which zeroes memory before use. The vulnerability affects specific Linux kernel versions and has a CVSS score of 8.2, indicating a medium severity. A patch is available, and users are advised to update to fixed kernel versions. The vulnerability does not have known exploits in the wild and is not specific to any country.

References

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