CVE-2026-72190 ntfs: fix mrec_lock ABBA deadlock in rename
A race condition in the Linux kernel NTFS driver can cause a deadlock during file rename operations, leading to a denial of service.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Any signed-in user
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-72190?
CVE-2026-72190 is a vulnerability in Linux, published on 15 Aug 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
ntfs: fix mrec_lock ABBA deadlock in rename
ntfs_file_fsync(), ntfs_dir_fsync() and __ntfs_write_inode() lock an inode's mrec_lock before taking the mrec_lock of its parent directory.
ntfs_rename() takes old_ni->mrec_lock and old_dir_ni->mrec_lock before taking new_ni->mrec_lock for an existing target, or new_dir_ni->mrec_lock for a cross-directory rename. This can deadlock when ntfs_file_fsync() or __ntfs_write_inode() holds the target inode, or when ntfs_dir_fsync() holds a child target directory, while rename() holds the parent directory and waits for the target.
Fix this by locking the existing target inode before taking any parent directory mrec_lock. For cross-directory renames where the target parent is a descendant of the source parent, lock the target parent before the source parent so the directory order matches the child-to-parent order used by ntfs_file_fsync(), ntfs_dir_fsync(), and __ntfs_write_inode().
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-72190?
How do I fix CVE-2026-72190?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Is CVE-2026-72190 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-72190 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as DEBIAN-CVE-2026-72190, GHSA-7xmj-mqhm-5492, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72190.