Affects the Linux kernel NTFS parser in widely deployed OSes; can cause kernel memory corruption enabling privilege escalation or DoS across servers, desktops, VMs.
CVE-2026-72200
Signed-integer overflow in Linux NTFS runlist parser causing kernel memory corruption.
Is CVE-2026-72200 being exploited?
Not confirmed. CVE-2026-72200 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 0.60% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How severe is CVE-2026-72200?
CVE-2026-72200 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-2026-72200?
Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-72200. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.
What does CVE-2026-72200 affect?
CVE-2026-72200 affects Linux kernel (ntfs mapping-pairs parser), Linux systems mounting/parsing NTFS volumes (desktops, servers, VMs, embedded). Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.
What should I do about CVE-2026-72200?
Apply kernel updates immediately; avoid mounting untrusted NTFS volumes.
Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.
Crafted NTFS runlist can trigger LCN accumulator overflow, causing kernel memory corruption leading to local privilege escalation or kernel crash (DoS).
Immediate action required
- affected>= 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 and < 7ffa8f3d30236e0ab897c30bdb01224ff1fe1c89
- affected>= 1e9ea7e04472d4e5e12e58c881eaacfb3e49b669 and < 7fb64788812d137b37f6d8724e1e41c624c1e814
- affected>= 1e9ea7e04472d4e5e12e58c881eaacfb3e49b669 and < ec4f061f2219e0f0c6465d56d0380bf749235a53
- affected2.6.12
- 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.