Kernel-level NTFS bug affects widely deployed Linux systems and virtualization; can cause data loss and crashes, requiring org-wide urgent attention.
CVE-2026-72211
Linux NTFS bug can corrupt filesystems and crash kernels.
Is CVE-2026-72211 being exploited?
Not confirmed. CVE-2026-72211 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-2026-72211?
CVE-2026-72211 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-2026-72211?
Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-72211. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.
What does CVE-2026-72211 affect?
CVE-2026-72211 affects Linux kernel (NTFS subsystem), Hosts mounting NTFS volumes, QEMU/KVM guests using NTFS images, ntfsprogs/ntfsck tools. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.
What should I do about CVE-2026-72211?
Apply Linux kernel update with NTFS fix; avoid untrusted NTFS images; run ntfsck/fsck on exposed volumes.
Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.
Crafted/malformed NTFS images can trigger kernel filesystem corruption, crashes and data loss when mounting or repairing NTFS volumes (DoS/data loss).
Immediate action required
- affected>= 0a8ac0c1fa0b99a5b29002bc7f232ed7eafddef0 and < 38d444271604afc6381ddb5a181e391915c35fae
- affected>= 0a8ac0c1fa0b99a5b29002bc7f232ed7eafddef0 and < 0bb508fb3b97e4802ec727fd2af4d608f65dd190
- 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.