CVE-2026-97437: Linux kernel · ntfs3: fix out-of-bounds read in ntfs_dir_emit() and hdr_find_e()
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.1 High.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 17:16 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 3% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 24 Sep 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: 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 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinuxpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-awspkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azurepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azure-fdepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-fde?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gcppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gkepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gke?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther 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 for this vulnerability is available in the Linux kernel. Users and administrators should update to a patched kernel version that includes the corrected bounds checks in ntfs_dir_emit() and hdr_find_e(). No additional mitigation is required beyond applying the official kernel update.
Description
A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's ntfs3 driver allowed an out-of-bounds read due to improper bounds checking in ntfs_dir_emit() and hdr_find_e(). The issue arises from comparing character counts against byte counts without accounting for UTF-16LE encoding and header sizes, enabling crafted NTFS images to cause reads past entry boundaries. This flaw has been resolved by correcting the bounds checks and adding key_size validation.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-97437 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-97437 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/aa1bdbb39f49c5bc9779316891c40005517842a5 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/ed6da1abeec50db9060d714f03743fe0b63e4fe4 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/6a8149a20e46086c756c2a9202e377c0b649a0c3 (opens in a new tab)
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97437 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/0505f1e7bb5b981b6ed62d98b26ddce76142865d (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/2f7d0ec8c10dc7bf7a8c9a9cb169f9a4d1fac2ba (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/d1f98938e437732c0ecdfc8ee451e12a072f6d07 (opens in a new tab)