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Linux hwe edge: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ntfs: validate attribute values on lookup ntfs_attr_find() and… (CVE-2026-72209)

0
Medium
Published: 08/17/2026 (08/17/2026, 00:00:00 UTC)
Source: GCVE Database
Product: linux-hwe-edge

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ntfs: validate attribute values on lookup ntfs_attr_find() and ntfs_external_attr_find() check that generic resident attribute values fit in their attribute records and that fixed-size resident values are large enough. For variable-length resident formats, however, the fixed part is not enough: embedded length fields can still point callers past the resident value. A crafted image can set a small resident $FILE_NAME value_length while leaving file_name_length large. Callers then trust file_name_length and read past the resident value when converting or comparing the name. This was reproduced with a crafted image under KASAN as a slab-out-of-bounds read from the kmalloc-1k MFT record copy. The stack included ntfs_lookup(), ntfs_iget(), ntfs_read_locked_inode(), ntfs_attr_name_get(), ntfs_ucstonls(), and utf16s_to_utf8s(). Add a shared attribute value validator and use it before a lookup path can return an attribute, including the AT_UNUSED enumeration case where callers inspect returned attributes directly. The helper validates resident value bounds, minimum resident value sizes, variable-length $FILE_NAME fields, and non-resident mapping-pairs metadata that was previously checked separately in both lookup paths. This also preserves the intended resident @val matching semantics in the external attribute lookup path. The old duplicated validation block overwrote the actual resident value length with the type-specific minimum length before comparing @val, so variable-length resident values could fail to match even when the bytes were identical. Keep the comparison on the actual value length, and make ntfs_attrlist_entry_add() compare resident attributes with lowest_vcn zero instead of reading the non-resident union member after a successful resident match. Reject non-resident $FILE_NAME records too: the format requires $FILE_NAME to be resident and callers treat returned records as resident.

CVSS v3.1

Score 9.8critical

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

AI-Powered Analysis

Machine-generated threat intelligence

AILast updated: 08/15/2026, 16:47:22 UTC

Technical Analysis

The Linux kernel NTFS driver had a vulnerability in the ntfs_attr_find() and ntfs_external_attr_find() functions where variable-length resident attribute values were not fully validated. A crafted NTFS image could set a small resident $FILE_NAME value_length but a large file_name_length, causing callers to read beyond the resident value buffer. This was demonstrated as a slab-out-of-bounds read under KASAN. The patch added a shared validator to check resident value bounds, minimum sizes, and variable-length $FILE_NAME fields before returning attributes, preventing out-of-bounds reads and preserving intended matching semantics. Non-resident $FILE_NAME records are also rejected as they violate format requirements.

Potential Impact

The vulnerability allows a crafted NTFS image to cause out-of-bounds memory reads in kernel space, potentially leading to information disclosure or kernel instability. However, no known exploits in the wild have been reported. The impact is limited to systems mounting or interacting with malicious NTFS images.

Mitigation Recommendations

A fix has been implemented in the Linux kernel to validate NTFS attribute values properly before use, preventing out-of-bounds reads. Users should apply the official kernel updates that include this patch once available. Since this is a kernel-level vulnerability, updating to a patched kernel version is the recommended remediation. Patch status is not explicitly confirmed in the provided data; users should monitor vendor advisories for official fixes.

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Technical Details

Gcve Source
db.gcve.eu
Osv Id
GHSA-mc37-vg5j-fcfg
Osv Schema Version
1.4.0
Aliases
["CVE-2026-72209"]

Threat ID: 6a808b73bf8831d5394fe0d1

Added to database: 08/15/2026, 15:53:23 UTC

Last enriched: 08/15/2026, 16:47:22 UTC

Last updated: 09/30/2026, 06:54:40 UTC

Views: 50

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