Linux kernel is core infrastructure used widely; a kernel memory-corruption bug can disrupt servers, endpoints, and cloud hosts — high-impact and broadly relevant.
CVE-2026-72201
Linux kernel NTFS index parsing flaw enabling kernel memory corruption and privilege escalation.
Is CVE-2026-72201 being exploited?
Not confirmed. CVE-2026-72201 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 0.52% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How severe is CVE-2026-72201?
CVE-2026-72201 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-2026-72201?
Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-72201. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.
What does CVE-2026-72201 affect?
CVE-2026-72201 affects Linux kernel (ntfs index parsing/ntfs driver), Linux distributions using vulnerable kernels. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.
What should I do about CVE-2026-72201?
Apply vendor kernel/security updates immediately
Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.
Malformed NTFS index entries can trigger kernel memory corruption, crashes, or local privilege escalation when parsing or mounting NTFS volumes.
Patch when possible
- affected>= 0a8ac0c1fa0b99a5b29002bc7f232ed7eafddef0 and < e2b95d3adb558ddd5685f9e072ec8661d57ee3a9
- affected>= 0a8ac0c1fa0b99a5b29002bc7f232ed7eafddef0 and < 2221b691d7b2e17f08153f95848dacaa5d87e21d
- 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.