CVE-2026-72478: fs/ntfs3: add bounds check to run_get_highest_vcn()

Published Aug 15, 2026
·
Updated

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

fs/ntfs3: add bounds check to rungethighestvcn()

rungethighestvcn() parses a packed NTFS mapping-pairs buffer without any length bound, relying solely on a 0x00 terminator to stop. A crafted $LogFile UpdateMappingPairs record whose embedded attribute contains mapping-pairs runs without a terminator causes the function to read past the slab allocation, triggering a KASAN slab-out-of-bounds read on mount.

The sibling function rununpack() received an analogous bounds-check in commit b62567bca474 ("ntfs3: add buffer boundary checks to rununpack()"), but rungethighestvcn() was missed.

Take a runbufsize parameter and reject any run header whose payload would extend past the buffer end, mirroring the pattern used by rununpack(). The caller in fslog.c passes the remaining attribute bytes after the mapping-pairs offset.

KASAN report (on mainline v7.1 merge window HEAD):

BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in rungethighestvcn+0x3c0/0x410 Read of size 1 at addr ffff88800e2d5400 by task mount/72 Call Trace: rungethighestvcn+0x3c0/0x410 doaction.isra.0+0x3ba8/0x7b50 logreplay+0x9ddd/0x10200 ntfsloadlogandreplay+0x4ad/0x610 ntfsfillsuper+0x214a/0x4540

Affected Software

1 affected component
Linux Linux kernel

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade Linux kernel (fs/ntfs3) to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Patch b62567bca474

Event History

Aug 15, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·05:57 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·05:57 AM
Description
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2026-72478?

CVE-2026-72478 has a risk rating of 33.

2

How do I fix CVE-2026-72478?

To fix CVE-2026-72478, update your Linux kernel to the latest patched version.

3

What systems are affected by CVE-2026-72478?

CVE-2026-72478 affects the Linux kernel's NTFS3 implementation.

4

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2026-72478?

CVE-2026-72478 is a bounds-checking vulnerability in the Linux kernel.

5

Can CVE-2026-72478 be exploited remotely?

Exploitation details for CVE-2026-72478 are not specified, but typically such vulnerabilities require local access.

Contact

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