Linux kernel bug in NTFS driver with CVSS 9.8; affects any system that mounts NTFS and can cause kernel memory corruption — broadly impactful to enterprises.
CVE-2026-72185
Linux NTFS driver memory-corruption on mount can crash or compromise the kernel.
Is CVE-2026-72185 being exploited?
Not confirmed. CVE-2026-72185 does not appear in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which records only exploitation that has been observed and reported publicly. That is evidence of absence of a report, not evidence the flaw is unattacked. EPSS currently estimates a 0.63% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How severe is CVE-2026-72185?
CVE-2026-72185 is rated Critical with a CVSS score of 9.8. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.
Is there a patch for CVE-2026-72185?
Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-72185. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.
What does CVE-2026-72185 affect?
CVE-2026-72185 affects Linux kernel (NTFS driver), Any Linux host that mounts NTFS images or volumes. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.
What should I do about CVE-2026-72185?
Apply vendor kernel update immediately; avoid mounting untrusted NTFS images.
Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.
Crafted NTFS images can trigger kernel memory corruption during mount, enabling crash (DoS) or potential local privilege escalation / RCE.
Immediate action required
- affected>= 495e90fa334828d4119061e2726af51d0a0fb4ed and < b397b1238a217264bb02f963a1a1eadf71906375
- affected>= 495e90fa334828d4119061e2726af51d0a0fb4ed and < b8d6c528e9d57d263fee1a648409f84a68b2561d
- affected7.1
As published in the CVE Program record. A version outside these ranges is not a statement that it is unaffected — vendors sometimes understate a range, and distribution-backported builds carry upstream numbers that do not reflect what was patched into them.