CVE-2026-72186
CriticalIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ntfs: make system files immutable to prevent corruption When a system file such as $Bitmap is exposed via show_sys_files and written from userspace, the volume is corrupted and, because the cluster allocator scans $Bitmap through the same inode's page cache, a write to $Bitmap also deadlocks writeback against the folio it already holds locked. These files are maintained by the driver itself and have no valid reason to be written through the file interface. Mark base metadata files (mft_no < FILE_first_user) as immutable during inode read so the VFS rejects write, mmap, truncate and unlink with -EPERM. Directories are skipped so the root and $Extend remain usable. Internal metadata updates do not go through the VFS write path and are unaffected.
CVSS 3.1 score
9.1
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
7.1
and later are affected. Fixed in
7.1.5,
7.2
and their respective stable series.
References
2 totalFrequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2026-72186?
CVE-2026-72186 is a Critical severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 9.1 out of 10 . It affects Linux kernel versions from 7.1 onward and has been patched in 7.1.5 and 7.2. CVE-2026-72186 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
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What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-72186?
CVE-2026-72186 has a CVSS score of 9.1 out of 10, rated Critical severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H. -
Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-72186?
Yes. CVE-2026-72186 has been patched. Fixed versions include 7.1.5 and 7.2. If you are running Linux kernel 7.1 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2026-72186 actively exploited?
No. CVE-2026-72186 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.