# CVE-2026-72202: linux: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:  ntfs: avoid heap allocation for free-cluster rea...

CVE-2026-72202 is fixed in linux on 1 platform by DEBIAN-CVE-2026-72202 (version 7.1.5-1), released August 15, 2026. It is not reported as exploited. Patch Radar priority: High.

- Web page: https://patchblox.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-72202
- Priority: High
- CVSS: 7.5 (high)
- EPSS: 0.0049
- 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: avoid heap allocation for free-cluster readahead state  get_nr_free_clusters() allocates a temporary file_ra_state before it publishes the precomputed free cluster count, sets NVolFreeClusterKnown(), and wakes vol->free_waitq. If that allocation fails, the worker returns without setting the flag or waking waiters, so callers waiting for the free count can block indefinitely.  The readahead state is only used synchronously while scanning the bitmap. Keep it on the stack and pass it by address to the readahead helper. This eliminates the early allocation failure path instead of adding a special case that publishes a conservative count and wakes the waitqueue. Zero-initialize the on-stack state because file_ra_state_init() only sets ra_pages and prev_pos.  Apply the same treatment to __get_nr_free_mft_records(), which scans the MFT bitmap with the same short-lived readahead state.

## Where it's fixed

| Platform | Product | Fixed in | Fix | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | linux Debian 14 | 7.1.5-1 | [DEBIAN-CVE-2026-72202](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/debian-cve-2026-72202.md) | Aug 15, 2026 |

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Data as of 2026-11-08T06:59:42Z 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 Patchblox finds out-of-date software on Windows, macOS and Linux and updates it through release rings: https://patchblox.com/demo

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