{"id":"CVE-2026-72194","state":"PUBLISHED","title":"fs/ntfs3: add depth limit to indx_find_buffer to prevent stack overflow","description":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nfs/ntfs3: add depth limit to indx_find_buffer to prevent stack overflow\n\nindx_find_buffer() recursively descends the B+ tree index with no depth\nlimit.  A crafted NTFS image with circular index node references causes\nunbounded recursion, overflowing the kernel stack and panicking the\nsystem.\n\nThis is reachable by mounting a malicious NTFS filesystem (e.g. from a\nUSB drive via desktop automount) and deleting a file whose index entry\ntriggers the rebalancing fallback path in indx_delete_entry().\n\nAdd a depth parameter and bail out with -EINVAL when it reaches the\nfnd->nodes array bound, matching the constraint already enforced by\nfnd_push() in indx_find().\n\nThe related function indx_find() was previously patched for a similar\ninfinite-loop issue (commit 1732053c8a6b), but indx_find_buffer() was\nmissed.","publishedAt":"2026-08-15T05:53:54.125Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-16T18:45:01.099Z","severity":{"score":9.8,"label":"Critical","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","source":"Linux"},"assigner":"Linux","products":["Linux Linux"],"affected":[{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"unaffected","versions":[{"version":"82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17","status":"affected","lessThan":"99031d4f63c785d2a985b6a4c64c4256f7117052","versionType":"git"},{"version":"82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17","status":"affected","lessThan":"65357a81f64cb3fbe13b4b937586755e4b3a072f","versionType":"git"},{"version":"82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17","status":"affected","lessThan":"96fb64f9da86fd2dbd78fbe9d9e41ae27e12ce34","versionType":"git"},{"version":"82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17","status":"affected","lessThan":"78612f478f9fadcec4f9b3b089970da67ffb47e9","versionType":"git"},{"version":"82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17","status":"affected","lessThan":"908c9243ba309997b73cbda3e4c563d0fb345ee9","versionType":"git"},{"version":"82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17","status":"affected","lessThan":"fdf50c788e0991e42a187ff75479a0df7fb752f1","versionType":"git"},{"version":"82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17","status":"affected","lessThan":"1ebd684b8f627f75bc3e03f8b2ad8400fd1f02cd","versionType":"git"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["fs/ntfs3/index.c"]},{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"affected","versions":[{"version":"5.15","status":"affected"},{"version":"0","status":"unaffected","lessThan":"5.15","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.15.212","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"5.15.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.1.178","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.1.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.6.145","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.6.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.12.97","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.12.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.18.40","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.18.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"7.1.5","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"7.1.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"7.2","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"*","versionType":"original_commit_for_fix"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["fs/ntfs3/index.c"]}],"references":["https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/99031d4f63c785d2a985b6a4c64c4256f7117052","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/65357a81f64cb3fbe13b4b937586755e4b3a072f","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/96fb64f9da86fd2dbd78fbe9d9e41ae27e12ce34","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/78612f478f9fadcec4f9b3b089970da67ffb47e9","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/908c9243ba309997b73cbda3e4c563d0fb345ee9","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fdf50c788e0991e42a187ff75479a0df7fb752f1","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1ebd684b8f627f75bc3e03f8b2ad8400fd1f02cd"],"weaknesses":[],"ingestedAt":"2026-10-29T20:12:58.252Z","source":{"repository":"CVEProject/cvelistV5","path":"cves/2026/72xxx/CVE-2026-72194.json","commit":"556c9d3a8cd17e218bb8e452ba7cd619a384ff47"},"raw":{"dataType":"CVE_RECORD","dataVersion":"5.2","cveMetadata":{"cveId":"CVE-2026-72194","state":"PUBLISHED","datePublished":"2026-08-15T05:53:54.125Z","dateUpdated":"2026-10-16T18:45:01.099Z","assignerShortName":"Linux","assignerOrgId":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","dateReserved":"2026-08-09T03:40:39.911Z"},"containers":{"cna":{"title":"fs/ntfs3: add depth limit to indx_find_buffer to prevent stack overflow","descriptions":[{"lang":"en","value":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nfs/ntfs3: add depth limit to indx_find_buffer to prevent stack overflow\n\nindx_find_buffer() recursively descends the B+ tree index with no depth\nlimit.  A crafted NTFS image with circular index node references causes\nunbounded recursion, overflowing the kernel stack and panicking the\nsystem.\n\nThis is reachable by mounting a malicious NTFS filesystem (e.g. from a\nUSB drive via desktop automount) and deleting a file whose index entry\ntriggers the rebalancing fallback path in indx_delete_entry().\n\nAdd a depth parameter and bail out with -EINVAL when it reaches the\nfnd->nodes array bound, matching the constraint already enforced by\nfnd_push() in indx_find().\n\nThe related function indx_find() was previously patched for a similar\ninfinite-loop issue (commit 1732053c8a6b), but indx_find_buffer() was\nmissed."}],"affected":[{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"unaffected","versions":[{"version":"82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17","status":"affected","lessThan":"99031d4f63c785d2a985b6a4c64c4256f7117052","versionType":"git"},{"version":"82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17","status":"affected","lessThan":"65357a81f64cb3fbe13b4b937586755e4b3a072f","versionType":"git"},{"version":"82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17","status":"affected","lessThan":"96fb64f9da86fd2dbd78fbe9d9e41ae27e12ce34","versionType":"git"},{"version":"82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17","status":"affected","lessThan":"78612f478f9fadcec4f9b3b089970da67ffb47e9","versionType":"git"},{"version":"82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17","status":"affected","lessThan":"908c9243ba309997b73cbda3e4c563d0fb345ee9","versionType":"git"},{"version":"82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17","status":"affected","lessThan":"fdf50c788e0991e42a187ff75479a0df7fb752f1","versionType":"git"},{"version":"82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17","status":"affected","lessThan":"1ebd684b8f627f75bc3e03f8b2ad8400fd1f02cd","versionType":"git"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["fs/ntfs3/index.c"]},{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"affected","versions":[{"version":"5.15","status":"affected"},{"version":"0","status":"unaffected","lessThan":"5.15","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.15.212","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"5.15.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.1.178","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.1.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.6.145","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.6.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.12.97","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.12.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.18.40","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.18.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"7.1.5","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"7.1.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"7.2","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"*","versionType":"original_commit_for_fix"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["fs/ntfs3/index.c"]}],"references":[{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/99031d4f63c785d2a985b6a4c64c4256f7117052"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/65357a81f64cb3fbe13b4b937586755e4b3a072f"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/96fb64f9da86fd2dbd78fbe9d9e41ae27e12ce34"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/78612f478f9fadcec4f9b3b089970da67ffb47e9"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/908c9243ba309997b73cbda3e4c563d0fb345ee9"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fdf50c788e0991e42a187ff75479a0df7fb752f1"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1ebd684b8f627f75bc3e03f8b2ad8400fd1f02cd"}],"metrics":[{"cvssV3_1":{"version":"3.1","vectorString":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","baseScore":9.8,"baseSeverity":"CRITICAL"},"scenarios":[{"lang":"en","value":"AV:N - ntfs3 registers export_operations; on NAS/hybrid servers exporting an NTFS volume via nfsd or ksmbd, a remote client's unlink reaches vfs_unlink→ntfs_unlink_inode→ni_remove_name→indx_delete_entry→indx_find_buffer without any local syscall from the attacker.\nAC:L - The attacker fully controls on-disk INDEX_ENTRY VCN pointers and can craft circular B+ tree references so indx_find_buffer() recurses deterministically until stack exhaustion; no race, special heap layout, or other uncontrollable condition is required beyond presenting the image and issuing unlink.\nPR:N - Exploitation requires only supplying a malicious NTFS image later mounted by root/udisks2/automount, or write permission on an NFS/SMB-exported NTFS share (including guest/anonymous write); no init-namespace root, CAP_SYS_ADMIN, or other elevated host credentials are needed on the trigger path.\nUI:N - Once an administrator has mounted and optionally exported the NTFS volume—or desktop/kiosk automount has attached removable media—the attacker issues unlink directly; no further victim clicks, file opens, or cooperative actions beyond that standing configuration are required.\nS:U - Impact is kernel stack overflow and panic within the host kernel's security authority; this is standard local or network filesystem exploitation, not a VM escape, IOMMU bypass, or cross-scope sandbox breakout.\nC:H - Unbounded recursion overflows the kernel stack, corrupting stack memory before the guard-page fault; under overestimation guidance, kernel stack corruption is treated as potentially enabling arbitrary kernel memory disclosure or information leakage via control-data overwrite.\nI:H - Recursive stack exhaustion corrupts return addresses and adjacent stack frames on the kernel stack, plausibly enabling control-flow hijack or arbitrary kernel modification even though the immediate failure mode is a panic.\nA:H - The fix commit and call path confirm unbounded recursion overflows the kernel stack and panics the system; any kernel oops, stack guard fault, or panic from this path scores Availability High."}]}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"Linux","orgId":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","dateUpdated":"2026-08-17T05:41:20.799Z"},"cpeApplicability":[{"nodes":[{"operator":"OR","negate":false,"cpeMatch":[{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"5.15","versionEndExcluding":"5.15.212"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"5.15","versionEndExcluding":"6.1.178"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"5.15","versionEndExcluding":"6.6.145"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"5.15","versionEndExcluding":"6.12.97"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"5.15","versionEndExcluding":"6.18.40"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"5.15","versionEndExcluding":"7.1.5"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"5.15","versionEndExcluding":"7.2"}]}]}],"x_generator":{"engine":"bippy-1.2.0"}},"adp":[{"title":"CISA ADP Vulnrichment","metrics":[{"other":{"type":"ssvc","content":{"id":"CVE-2026-72194","role":"CISA Coordinator","options":[{"Exploitation":"none"},{"Automatable":"yes"},{"Technical Impact":"total"}],"version":"2.0.3","timestamp":"2026-10-16T18:43:35.223042Z"}}}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"CISA-ADP","orgId":"134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0","dateUpdated":"2026-10-16T18:45:01.099Z"}}]}}}