CVE-2026-72202

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ntfs: avoid heap allocation for free-cluster readahead state get_nr_free_clusters() allocates a temporary file_ra_state before it publishes the precomputed free cluster count, sets NVolFreeClusterKnown(), and wakes vol->free_waitq. If that allocation fails, the worker returns without setting the flag or waking waiters, so callers waiting for the free count can block indefinitely. The readahead state is only used synchronously while scanning the bitmap. Keep it on the stack and pass it by address to the readahead helper. This eliminates the early allocation failure path instead of adding a special case that publishes a conservative count and wakes the waitqueue. Zero-initialize the on-stack state because file_ra_state_init() only sets ra_pages and prev_pos. Apply the same treatment to __get_nr_free_mft_records(), which scans the MFT bitmap with the same short-lived readahead state.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-08-15
Last modified 2026-08-15
Patch available
Yes

Affected versions

Fixed in 7.1.5, 7.2-rc1 and their respective stable series.

Fixed in
✓ 7.1.5 7.1.x ✓ 7.2-rc1

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-72202?

    CVE-2026-72202 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . CVE-2026-72202 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-72202?

    Yes. CVE-2026-72202 has been patched. Fixed versions include 7.1.5 and 7.2-rc1.

  • Is CVE-2026-72202 actively exploited?

    No. CVE-2026-72202 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.