This is a Linux kernel filesystem bug affecting the in-kernel NTFS driver; kernel compromise on widely deployed Linux systems has broad, high-impact consequences.
CVE-2026-72188
Linux NTFS driver flaw allows crafted NTFS images to cause kernel corruption and potential RCE.
Is CVE-2026-72188 being exploited?
Not confirmed. CVE-2026-72188 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 0.47% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How severe is CVE-2026-72188?
CVE-2026-72188 is rated Critical with a CVSS score of 9.1. 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-2026-72188?
Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-72188. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.
What does CVE-2026-72188 affect?
CVE-2026-72188 affects Linux kernel (NTFS driver / ntfs_lookup_inode_by_name), Linux distributions with in-kernel NTFS support, Systems that mount untrusted NTFS images (local or auto-mounted). Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.
What should I do about CVE-2026-72188?
Apply vendor/kernel security updates 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 cause kernel misinterpretation of MFT refs, enabling memory corruption that may lead to local privilege escalation or kernel RCE.
Immediate action required
- affected>= 1e9ea7e04472d4e5e12e58c881eaacfb3e49b669 and < 83f396d881c4fd312c7fd5fff2c157fc21104464
- affected>= 1e9ea7e04472d4e5e12e58c881eaacfb3e49b669 and < d97a36bae86a9a4021562ded2987f904e6bcb1d7
- 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.