{"api_version":"1","generated_at":"2026-10-24T15:26:43+00:00","cve":"CVE-2026-72188","urls":{"html":"https://cve.report/CVE-2026-72188","api":"https://cve.report/api/cve/CVE-2026-72188.json","docs":"https://cve.report/api","cve_org":"https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-72188","nvd":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-72188"},"summary":{"title":"ntfs: sanitize MFT references returned from ntfs_lookup_inode_by_name()","description":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nntfs: sanitize MFT references returned from ntfs_lookup_inode_by_name()\n\nntfs_lookup_inode_by_name() returns MFT references read from directory\nindex entries on disk. These values are untrusted, but the function can\ncurrently return an error-marked MFT reference to its callers without\nvalidating it.\n\nCallers later decode lookup failures with MREF_ERR(). A crafted NTFS image\ncan set the MREF error bit while leaving the low bits as an arbitrary\nvalue, causing callers to consume a bogus pseudo-errno instead of treating\nthe lookup result as corrupted on-disk metadata.\n\nFix this at the source by normalizing every error-marked MFT reference\nreturned from ntfs_lookup_inode_by_name() to ERR_MREF(-EIO). Apply this to\nall four directory lookup return paths so every caller gets a validated\nresult without needing additional checks or an API change.\n\nThis keeps the sanitization in the common lookup helper, which is cleaner\nthan duplicating validation in each caller.","state":"PUBLISHED","assigner":"Linux","published_at":"2026-08-15 06:21:37","updated_at":"2026-08-17 06:18:19"},"problem_types":[],"metrics":[{"version":"3.1","source":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","type":"Secondary","score":"9.1","severity":"CRITICAL","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H","data":{"version":"3.1","vectorString":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H","baseScore":9.1,"baseSeverity":"CRITICAL","attackVector":"NETWORK","attackComplexity":"LOW","privilegesRequired":"NONE","userInteraction":"NONE","scope":"UNCHANGED","confidentialityImpact":"NONE","integrityImpact":"HIGH","availabilityImpact":"HIGH"}},{"version":"3.1","source":"CNA","type":"DECLARED","score":"9.1","severity":"CRITICAL","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H","data":{"baseScore":9.1,"baseSeverity":"CRITICAL","vectorString":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H","version":"3.1"}}],"references":[{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d97a36bae86a9a4021562ded2987f904e6bcb1d7","name":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d97a36bae86a9a4021562ded2987f904e6bcb1d7","refsource":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","tags":[],"title":"","mime":"","httpstatus":"","archivestatus":"0"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/83f396d881c4fd312c7fd5fff2c157fc21104464","name":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/83f396d881c4fd312c7fd5fff2c157fc21104464","refsource":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","tags":[],"title":"","mime":"","httpstatus":"","archivestatus":"0"},{"url":"https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-72188","name":"CVE Program record","refsource":"CVE.ORG","tags":["canonical"]},{"url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-72188","name":"NVD vulnerability detail","refsource":"NVD","tags":["canonical","analysis"]}],"affected":[{"source":"CNA","vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","version":"affected 1e9ea7e04472d4e5e12e58c881eaacfb3e49b669 83f396d881c4fd312c7fd5fff2c157fc21104464 git","platforms":[]},{"source":"CNA","vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","version":"affected 1e9ea7e04472d4e5e12e58c881eaacfb3e49b669 d97a36bae86a9a4021562ded2987f904e6bcb1d7 git","platforms":[]},{"source":"CNA","vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","version":"affected 7.1","platforms":[]},{"source":"CNA","vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","version":"unaffected 7.1 semver","platforms":[]},{"source":"CNA","vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","version":"unaffected 7.1.5 7.1.* semver","platforms":[]},{"source":"CNA","vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","version":"unaffected 7.2 * original_commit_for_fix","platforms":[]}],"timeline":[],"solutions":[],"workarounds":[],"exploits":[],"credits":[],"nvd_cpes":[],"vendor_comments":[],"enrichments":{"kev":null,"epss":{"cve_year":"2026","cve_id":"72188","cve":"CVE-2026-72188","epss":"0.004670000","percentile":"0.384550000","score_date":"2026-08-17","updated_at":"2026-08-18 00:11:47"},"legacy_qids":[]},"source_records":{"cve_program":{"containers":{"cna":{"affected":[{"defaultStatus":"unaffected","product":"Linux","programFiles":["fs/ntfs/dir.c"],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","vendor":"Linux","versions":[{"lessThan":"83f396d881c4fd312c7fd5fff2c157fc21104464","status":"affected","version":"1e9ea7e04472d4e5e12e58c881eaacfb3e49b669","versionType":"git"},{"lessThan":"d97a36bae86a9a4021562ded2987f904e6bcb1d7","status":"affected","version":"1e9ea7e04472d4e5e12e58c881eaacfb3e49b669","versionType":"git"}]},{"defaultStatus":"affected","product":"Linux","programFiles":["fs/ntfs/dir.c"],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","vendor":"Linux","versions":[{"status":"affected","version":"7.1"},{"lessThan":"7.1","status":"unaffected","version":"0","versionType":"semver"},{"lessThanOrEqual":"7.1.*","status":"unaffected","version":"7.1.5","versionType":"semver"},{"lessThanOrEqual":"*","status":"unaffected","version":"7.2","versionType":"original_commit_for_fix"}]}],"cpeApplicability":[{"nodes":[{"cpeMatch":[{"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionEndExcluding":"7.1.5","versionStartIncluding":"7.1","vulnerable":true},{"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionEndExcluding":"7.2","versionStartIncluding":"7.1","vulnerable":true}],"negate":false,"operator":"OR"}]}],"descriptions":[{"lang":"en","value":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nntfs: sanitize MFT references returned from ntfs_lookup_inode_by_name()\n\nntfs_lookup_inode_by_name() returns MFT references read from directory\nindex entries on disk. These values are untrusted, but the function can\ncurrently return an error-marked MFT reference to its callers without\nvalidating it.\n\nCallers later decode lookup failures with MREF_ERR(). A crafted NTFS image\ncan set the MREF error bit while leaving the low bits as an arbitrary\nvalue, causing callers to consume a bogus pseudo-errno instead of treating\nthe lookup result as corrupted on-disk metadata.\n\nFix this at the source by normalizing every error-marked MFT reference\nreturned from ntfs_lookup_inode_by_name() to ERR_MREF(-EIO). Apply this to\nall four directory lookup return paths so every caller gets a validated\nresult without needing additional checks or an API change.\n\nThis keeps the sanitization in the common lookup helper, which is cleaner\nthan duplicating validation in each caller."}],"metrics":[{"cvssV3_1":{"baseScore":9.1,"baseSeverity":"CRITICAL","vectorString":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H","version":"3.1"},"scenarios":[{"lang":"en","value":"AV:N - fs/ntfs registers ntfs_export_ops; remote nfsd/ksmbd LOOKUP/OPEN/stat on an exported crafted NTFS volume reaches ntfs_lookup→ntfs_lookup_inode_by_name parsing attacker-controlled INDX indexed_file values without local shell access.\nAC:L - The attacker fully controls on-disk directory index indexed_file MFT references and can set the ERR_MREF error bit with arbitrary low bits; decoding the forged pseudo-errno via MREF_ERR() is deterministic from a crafted image with no race or external timing.\nPR:N - Triggering needs only a malicious NTFS image (USB, loop, dual-boot disk) mounted by the host or lookup access to exported NTFS paths via NFS/SMB; no init-namespace root or CAP_SYS_ADMIN is required on the code path that consumes the bogus errno.\nUI:N - fill_super mount-time lookups (hiberfil.sys, $Quota) and subsequent local or remote path lookups call ntfs_lookup_inode_by_name as soon as the crafted volume is mounted or exported, without further per-attack cooperation beyond volume presentation.\nS:U - Forged errno handling perturbs VFS lookup and mount safety decisions within the host kernel/filesystem authority only; this is standard filesystem parsing abuse, not a VM escape, IOMMU bypass, or cross-security-boundary scope change.\nC:N - The flaw only mis-decodes error-marked MFT references into attacker-chosen errno values returned to callers; there is no out-of-bounds read, use-after-free, or other kernel memory disclosure primitive.\nI:H - Spoofing -ENOENT via error-bit indexed_file can add negative dentries for present index entries and make check_windows_hibernation_status/load_and_init_quota treat hiberfil.sys/$Quota as absent, bypassing hibernation/quota guards and permitting rw corruption of live Windows hibernation and NTFS metadata.\nA:H - Hibernation-check bypass allows rw I/O on a suspended Windows volume, corrupting hiberfil.sys and preventing resume; forged lookup errnos also leave persistent negative-cache and index inconsistencies that can render the volume or dependent OS unusable."}]}],"providerMetadata":{"dateUpdated":"2026-08-17T05:41:17.414Z","orgId":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","shortName":"Linux"},"references":[{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/83f396d881c4fd312c7fd5fff2c157fc21104464"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d97a36bae86a9a4021562ded2987f904e6bcb1d7"}],"title":"ntfs: sanitize MFT references returned from ntfs_lookup_inode_by_name()","x_generator":{"engine":"bippy-1.2.0"}}},"cveMetadata":{"assignerOrgId":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","assignerShortName":"Linux","cveId":"CVE-2026-72188","datePublished":"2026-08-15T05:53:49.593Z","dateReserved":"2026-08-09T03:40:39.911Z","dateUpdated":"2026-08-17T05:41:17.414Z","state":"PUBLISHED"},"dataType":"CVE_RECORD","dataVersion":"5.2"},"nvd":{"publishedDate":"2026-08-15 06:21:37","lastModifiedDate":"2026-08-17 06:18:19","problem_types":[],"metrics":{"cvssMetricV31":[{"source":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","type":"Secondary","cvssData":{"version":"3.1","vectorString":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H","baseScore":9.1,"baseSeverity":"CRITICAL","attackVector":"NETWORK","attackComplexity":"LOW","privilegesRequired":"NONE","userInteraction":"NONE","scope":"UNCHANGED","confidentialityImpact":"NONE","integrityImpact":"HIGH","availabilityImpact":"HIGH"},"exploitabilityScore":3.9,"impactScore":5.2}]},"configurations":[]},"legacy_mitre":{"record":{"CveYear":"2026","CveId":"72188","Ordinal":"1","Title":"ntfs: sanitize MFT references returned from ntfs_lookup_inode_by","CVE":"CVE-2026-72188","Year":"2026"},"notes":[{"CveYear":"2026","CveId":"72188","Ordinal":"1","NoteData":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nntfs: sanitize MFT references returned from ntfs_lookup_inode_by_name()\n\nntfs_lookup_inode_by_name() returns MFT references read from directory\nindex entries on disk. These values are untrusted, but the function can\ncurrently return an error-marked MFT reference to its callers without\nvalidating it.\n\nCallers later decode lookup failures with MREF_ERR(). A crafted NTFS image\ncan set the MREF error bit while leaving the low bits as an arbitrary\nvalue, causing callers to consume a bogus pseudo-errno instead of treating\nthe lookup result as corrupted on-disk metadata.\n\nFix this at the source by normalizing every error-marked MFT reference\nreturned from ntfs_lookup_inode_by_name() to ERR_MREF(-EIO). Apply this to\nall four directory lookup return paths so every caller gets a validated\nresult without needing additional checks or an API change.\n\nThis keeps the sanitization in the common lookup helper, which is cleaner\nthan duplicating validation in each caller.","Type":"Description","Title":"ntfs: sanitize MFT references returned from ntfs_lookup_inode_by"}]}}}