CVE-2026-98139: Linux kernel · ntfs: only count successfully cleared runs when freeing clusters
Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited : upgrade to be9e89ccb8e52a3e4b67feeb03ebd8133091dc7e or 7eb97d8828e7758b9c81277f7802e740a800f78a when convenient.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 13:47 UTC
Rated Medium by Threat Radar's AI analysis · CVSS not yet scored by NVD
- EPSS
- 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 2% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in be9e89ccb8e52a3e4b67feeb03ebd8133091dc7e, 7eb97d8828e7758b9c81277f7802e740a800f78a
Exploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 25 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
Upgrade Linux kernel to be9e89ccb8e52a3e4b67feeb03ebd8133091dc7e or 7eb97d8828e7758b9c81277f7802e740a800f78a.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
|
| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
|
| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in– |
AI-suggested
A fix is available and has been applied in the Linux kernel in commits be9e89ccb8e52a3e4b67feeb03ebd8133091dc7e and 7eb97d8828e7758b9c81277f7802e740a800f78a. Users and administrators should update to a Linux kernel version that includes these fixes to resolve the issue.
Description
A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's NTFS implementation caused incorrect accounting of freed clusters during filesystem operations. The flaw involved counting cluster runs as freed even when the clearing operation failed, leading to corruption of free space statistics and allocator state. This issue has been fixed by ensuring only successfully cleared runs are counted.