VulnerabilityPublished 24 Dec 2025Updated 31 Jul 2026

CVE-2025-68728: Linux kernel · ntfs3: fix uninit memory after failed mi_read in mi_format_new

Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database

Not known to be exploited · fixed in 5.15.0-1103.110~20.04.1 : update Linux kernel when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 10:12 UTC

Severity

Medium

Rated by Threat Radar · No CVSS score from NVD or the CNA

EPSS: 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 8% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 5.15.0-1103.110~20.04.1, 5.15.0-1110.119~20.04.1, 5.15.0-1103.112~20.04.1 +70

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 24 Dec 2025
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.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Ubuntu 25.10linux`pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux@6.17.0-19.19?arch=source&distro=questing`Other threats	Affected <6.17.0-19.19	Fixed in 6.17.0-19.19
Ubuntu 25.10linux-aws`pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws@6.17.0-1009.9?arch=source&distro=questing`Other threats	Affected <6.17.0-1009.9	Fixed in 6.17.0-1009.9
Ubuntu 25.10linux-azure`pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure@6.17.0-1010.10?arch=source&distro=questing`Other threats	Affected <6.17.0-1010.10	Fixed in 6.17.0-1010.10
Ubuntu 25.10linux-azure-fde`pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-fde@6.17.0-1017.17?arch=source&distro=questing`Other threats	Affected 6.17.0-1003.3 – 6.17.0-1017.17 10 affected builds	Fixed in–
Ubuntu 25.10linux-gcp`pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp@6.17.0-1009.9?arch=source&distro=questing`Other threats	Affected <6.17.0-1009.9	Fixed in 6.17.0-1009.9
Ubuntu 25.10linux-oracle`pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-oracle@6.17.0-1009.9?arch=source&distro=questing`Other threats	Affected <6.17.0-1009.9	Fixed in 6.17.0-1009.9

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 and should be applied to affected Linux kernel versions to resolve the uninitialized memory issue in the ntfs3 driver. Users should update to the fixed kernel versions as per the vendor advisory. No additional mitigation steps are required beyond applying the official fix.

Description

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's ntfs3 driver was fixed to address uninitialized memory usage after a failed mi_read operation in the mi_format_new function. The issue involved a kernel memory sanitizer (KMSAN) uninitialized memory bug where a buffer expected to be up-to-date was not properly marked, potentially causing uninitialized data to be added to the mi record. This flaw was identified by syzkaller and has been resolved in updated Linux kernel versions.

Impact

The vulnerability could cause kernel memory sanitizer (KMSAN) to detect uninitialized memory usage, which may lead to instability or undefined behavior in the kernel when handling NTFS file system operations. There is no evidence of active exploitation in the wild. The impact is considered medium severity due to the potential for kernel memory corruption but no direct indication of privilege escalation or remote exploitation.

Summary

The Linux kernel ntfs3 driver contained a vulnerability where the function ntfs_get_bh() expects a buffer from sb_getblk() that may not be up-to-date. The code did not ensure the buffer was marked as up-to-date before use, which could lead to uninitialized memory being included in the mi record. This triggers a KMSAN uninitialized memory bug. The fix involves setting the buffer as up-to-date if it is not already, preventing the use of uninitialized data. This vulnerability was discovered via syzkaller and has been patched in specific Linux kernel versions.

GCVE source: db.gcve.eu
OSV ID: UBUNTU-CVE-2025-68728
Osv Schema Version: 1.7.0
Ecosystems: Ubuntu:16.04:LTS, Ubuntu:18.04:LTS, Ubuntu:20.04:LTS, Ubuntu:Pro:20.04:LTS, Ubuntu:22.04:LTS, Ubuntu:Nvidia-BlueField:22.04:LTS, Ubuntu:Pro:FIPS-preview:22.04:LTS, Ubuntu:Pro:FIPS-updates:22.04:LTS, Ubuntu:Pro:Realtime:22.04:LTS, Ubuntu:24.04:LTS, Ubuntu:Nvidia-BlueField:24.04:LTS, Ubuntu:Pro:FIPS-updates:24.04:LTS, Ubuntu:Pro:Realtime:24.04:LTS, Ubuntu:25.10

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 25 Oct 2026, 14:30 UTC

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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