CVE-2026-72477 fs/ntfs3: call _ntfs_bad_inode() when failing to rename
A flaw in the Linux kernel NTFS3 driver causes a kernel warning and potential instability when rename operations fail, leading to denial of service.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-72477?
CVE-2026-72477 is a critical denial of service vulnerability in Linux, published on 15 Aug 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
fs/ntfs3: call _ntfs_bad_inode() when failing to rename
It is safe to call _ntfs_bad_inode on live inodes since: commit 519b078998ce ("fs/ntfs3: Exclude call make_bad_inode for live nodes.")
The WARN_ON was added when it wasn't safe by: commit d99208b91933 ("fs/ntfs3: cancle set bad inode after removing name fails")
Replace the WARN_ON with a call to _ntfs_bad_inode() to prevent further operations on the inconsistent inode.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-72477?
How do I fix CVE-2026-72477?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade, then put limits on request size, rate and nesting depth so one client cannot exhaust the service. More about Denial of service.
Is CVE-2026-72477 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-72477 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as BELL-CVE-2026-72477, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-72477, GHSA-9679-5mjr-46x9, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72477.