CVE-2026-72189: Linux kernel · ntfs: fail attrlist updates when the superblock is inactive
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 6.0 Medium.
Data as of 9 Nov 2026, 14:06 UTC
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:P/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:NExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 15 Aug 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by 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 9 Nov 2026.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-aws-6.14pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws-6.14?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-aws-6.17pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws-6.17?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-azure-6.11pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-6.11?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-azure-6.14pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-6.14?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-azure-6.17pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-6.17?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.14pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-fde-6.14?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
AI-suggested
A fix is available that prevents the kernel from attempting to access the attribute-list fake inode once the superblock is inactive, aborting the update instead of causing a deadlock. Users should apply the official kernel updates that include this fix. No additional mitigations are required beyond applying the patch.
Description
CVE-2026-72189 is a vulnerability in the Linux kernel's NTFS filesystem driver where attrlist updates fail when the superblock is inactive. The issue arises due to a self-deadlock caused by the kernel attempting to access an inode that is in the process of being evicted, leading to a deadlock in find_inode(). This flaw has been fixed by preventing access to the attribute-list fake inode once the superblock is inactive, aborting the update instead of waiting on the inode eviction.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-72189 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-72189 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/linus/0ebe8f625ab0520217a425d7cd366e4670484941 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/0ebe8f625ab0520217a425d7cd366e4670484941 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/d5379035355c0dcb1e92a2544d40f48441e1d637 (opens in a new tab)