CVE-2026-72197
Linux kernel ntfs3 memmove bug causes kernel memory corruption when mounting crafted NTFS images
Is CVE-2026-72197 being exploited?
Not confirmed. CVE-2026-72197 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 0.18% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How severe is CVE-2026-72197?
CVE-2026-72197 is rated High with a CVSS score of 8.4. 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-2026-72197?
Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-72197. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.
What does CVE-2026-72197 affect?
CVE-2026-72197 affects Linux kernel (ntfs3 filesystem driver), Linux distributions with ntfs3 enabled, Systems that mount NTFS images/USB. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.
What should I do about CVE-2026-72197?
Update kernel to the patched release and avoid mounting untrusted NTFS volumes
Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.
Mounting a crafted NTFS image triggers out-of-bounds memmove causing kernel memory corruption -> crash (DoS) and potential local privilege escalation.
Patch when possible
- affected>= b46acd6a6a627d876898e1c84d3f84902264b445 and < c38ed2ab62fab75fd6d0fdc2bee540fbebc7b959
- affected>= b46acd6a6a627d876898e1c84d3f84902264b445 and < b509b9613f20dc5b653d54bf78fab00d79cc43c8
- affected>= b46acd6a6a627d876898e1c84d3f84902264b445 and < 4c8aac931c1cd70347961ba5157aa916448c6a25
- affected>= b46acd6a6a627d876898e1c84d3f84902264b445 and < f383aae59ec3994c14804f4191c59038b206be81
- affected>= b46acd6a6a627d876898e1c84d3f84902264b445 and < 09fddd52c1b0cef2c086d61be8f3d5dc92e36565
- affected>= b46acd6a6a627d876898e1c84d3f84902264b445 and < 554700c65d398276cb00a8ef95f1d5e00b9eff93
- affected>= b46acd6a6a627d876898e1c84d3f84902264b445 and < fc4626bb3656362de8b0ecd56605d47a19ec3518
- affected5.15
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.