# CVE-2026-72188: linux: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:  ntfs: sanitize MFT references returned from ntfs...

CVE-2026-72188 is fixed in linux on 1 platform by DEBIAN-CVE-2026-72188 (version 7.1.5-1), released August 15, 2026. It is not reported as exploited. Patch Radar priority: Urgent.

- Web page: https://patchblox.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-72188
- Priority: Urgent
- CVSS: 9.1 (critical)
- EPSS: 0.0050
- CISA KEV: not listed
- Exploited (vendor report): no
- Publicly disclosed: no
- Published: Aug 15, 2026

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:  ntfs: sanitize MFT references returned from ntfs_lookup_inode_by_name()  ntfs_lookup_inode_by_name() returns MFT references read from directory index entries on disk. These values are untrusted, but the function can currently return an error-marked MFT reference to its callers without validating it.  Callers later decode lookup failures with MREF_ERR(). A crafted NTFS image can set the MREF error bit while leaving the low bits as an arbitrary value, causing callers to consume a bogus pseudo-errno instead of treating the lookup result as corrupted on-disk metadata.  Fix this at the source by normalizing every error-marked MFT reference returned from ntfs_lookup_inode_by_name() to ERR_MREF(-EIO). Apply this to all four directory lookup return paths so every caller gets a validated result without needing additional checks or an API change.  This keeps the sanitization in the common lookup helper, which is cleaner than duplicating validation in each caller.

## Where it's fixed

| Platform | Product | Fixed in | Fix | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | linux Debian 14 | 7.1.5-1 | [DEBIAN-CVE-2026-72188](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/debian-cve-2026-72188.md) | Aug 15, 2026 |

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Data as of 2026-11-08T13:06:02Z UTC. Source: Patchblox Patch Radar (https://patchblox.com/security/patch-radar). Patchblox finds out-of-date software on Windows, macOS and Linux and updates it through release rings: https://patchblox.com/demo

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