---
id: CVE-2026-72194
title: 'fs/ntfs3: add depth limit to indx_find_buffer to prevent stack overflow'
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  fs/ntfs3: add depth limit to indx_find_buffer to prevent stack overflow

  indx_find_buffer() recursively descends the B+ tree index with no depth
  limit.  A crafted NTFS …
severity: critical
cvss: 9.8
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'
cvssSource: cna
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 <
    99031d4f63c785d2a985b6a4c64c4256f7117052
  - >-
    Linux >= 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 <
    65357a81f64cb3fbe13b4b937586755e4b3a072f
  - >-
    Linux >= 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 <
    96fb64f9da86fd2dbd78fbe9d9e41ae27e12ce34
  - >-
    Linux >= 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 <
    78612f478f9fadcec4f9b3b089970da67ffb47e9
  - >-
    Linux >= 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 <
    908c9243ba309997b73cbda3e4c563d0fb345ee9
  - >-
    Linux >= 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 <
    fdf50c788e0991e42a187ff75479a0df7fb752f1
  - >-
    Linux >= 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 <
    1ebd684b8f627f75bc3e03f8b2ad8400fd1f02cd
  - Linux 5.15
ssvc:
  exploitation: none
  automatable: 'yes'
  technicalImpact: total
  timestamp: '2026-10-16T18:43:35.223042Z'
published: '2026-08-15'
updated: '2026-10-16'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-16T18:45:01.099Z'
source: CVEORG
sourceUrl: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-72194'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/99031d4f63c785d2a985b6a4c64c4256f7117052'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/65357a81f64cb3fbe13b4b937586755e4b3a072f'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/96fb64f9da86fd2dbd78fbe9d9e41ae27e12ce34'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/78612f478f9fadcec4f9b3b089970da67ffb47e9'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/908c9243ba309997b73cbda3e4c563d0fb345ee9'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fdf50c788e0991e42a187ff75479a0df7fb752f1'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1ebd684b8f627f75bc3e03f8b2ad8400fd1f02cd'
tags:
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00798
epssPercentile: 0.55661
ingestedAt: '2026-10-16T19:46:24.423Z'
---

## Overview

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

fs/ntfs3: add depth limit to indx_find_buffer to prevent stack overflow

indx_find_buffer() recursively descends the B+ tree index with no depth
limit.  A crafted NTFS image with circular index node references causes
unbounded recursion, overflowing the kernel stack and panicking the
system.

This is reachable by mounting a malicious NTFS filesystem (e.g. from a
USB drive via desktop automount) and deleting a file whose index entry
triggers the rebalancing fallback path in indx_delete_entry().

Add a depth parameter and bail out with -EINVAL when it reaches the
fnd->nodes array bound, matching the constraint already enforced by
fnd_push() in indx_find().

The related function indx_find() was previously patched for a similar
infinite-loop issue (commit 1732053c8a6b), but indx_find_buffer() was
missed.

## Affected

- `Linux >= 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 < 99031d4f63c785d2a985b6a4c64c4256f7117052`
- `Linux >= 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 < 65357a81f64cb3fbe13b4b937586755e4b3a072f`
- `Linux >= 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 < 96fb64f9da86fd2dbd78fbe9d9e41ae27e12ce34`
- `Linux >= 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 < 78612f478f9fadcec4f9b3b089970da67ffb47e9`
- `Linux >= 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 < 908c9243ba309997b73cbda3e4c563d0fb345ee9`
- `Linux >= 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 < fdf50c788e0991e42a187ff75479a0df7fb752f1`
- `Linux >= 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 < 1ebd684b8f627f75bc3e03f8b2ad8400fd1f02cd`
- `Linux 5.15`

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.