# 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.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **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:** Yes
- **Published:** 15 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 17 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2026-72190, GHSA-7xmj-mqhm-5492, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72190

## 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.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-72190 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: 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.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-72190 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-72190/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-72190/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-72190
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-72190
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-72190

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-72190/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.