Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
ntfs: avoid stale runlist element dereference in fallocate
ntfs_attr_fallocate() allocates holes and delayed allocations inside
initialized size by looking up the current runlist element under
ni->runlist.lock. The returned struct runlist_element is only a borrowed
pointer into ni->runlist.rl. A writer can replace and free that array
after the read lock is dropped, so later reads of rl->lcn, rl->length and
rl->vcn can touch freed memory.
The buggy scenario involves two paths, with each column showing the order
within that path:
ntfs_attr_fallocate():
1. Take ni->runlist.lock for read.
2. Get rl from ntfs_attr_find_vcn_nolock().
3. Drop ni->runlist.lock.
4. Read rl->lcn, rl->length and rl->vcn.
mmap page_mkwrite:
1. Enter ntfs_filemap_page_mkwrite().
2. Reach __ntfs_write_iomap_begin() and ntfs_attr_map_cluster().
3. Merge allocation state with ntfs_runlists_merge().
4. Reallocate ni->runlist.rl in ntfs_rl_realloc(), freeing the old array.
Validation reproduced this kernel report:
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in ntfs_attr_fallocate+0xbb8/0xd00
Call Trace:
<TASK>
dump_stack_lvl+0x66/0xa0
print_report+0xce/0x630
? ntfs_attr_fallocate+0xbb8/0xd00
? srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5
? __virt_addr_valid+0x20d/0x410
? ntfs_attr_fallocate+0xbb8/0xd00
kasan_report+0xe0/0x110
? ntfs_attr_fallocate+0xbb8/0xd00
ntfs_attr_fallocate+0xbb8/0xd00
? lock_acquire+0x2b8/0x2f0
? __pfx_ntfs_attr_fallocate+0x10/0x10
? 0xffffffffc0000095
? down_write+0x10d/0x1e0
ntfs_fallocate+0x5c9/0x1d00
? __pfx_ntfs_fallocate+0x10/0x10
? srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5
? lock_acquire+0x2b8/0x2f0
? srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5
? selinux_file_permission+0x3a7/0x510
vfs_fallocate+0x29d/0xd30
__x64_sys_fallocate+0xc7/0x150
? do_syscall_64+0x81/0x6a0
do_syscall_64+0x115/0x6a0
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f
Allocated by task 410:
kasan_save_stack+0x33/0x60
kasan_save_track+0x14/0x30
__kasan_kmalloc+0xaa/0xb0
__kvmalloc_node_noprof+0x353/0x920
ntfs_rl_realloc+0x3f/0x110
ntfs_runlists_merge+0xaa3/0x3010
ntfs_attr_map_cluster+0x4e5/0xf80
ntfs_attr_fallocate+0x53f/0xd00
ntfs_fallocate+0x5c9/0x1d00
vfs_fallocate+0x29d/0xd30
__x64_sys_fallocate+0xc7/0x150
do_syscall_64+0x115/0x6a0
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f
Freed by task 424:
kasan_save_stack+0x33/0x60
kasan_save_track+0x14/0x30
kasan_save_free_info+0x3b/0x60
__kasan_slab_free+0x5f/0x80
kfree+0x307/0x580
ntfs_rl_realloc+0x6f/0x110
ntfs_runlists_merge+0x7b1/0x3010
ntfs_attr_map_cluster+0x4e5/0xf80
__ntfs_write_iomap_begin+0x8cd/0x2280
iomap_iter+0x6de/0x11e0
iomap_page_mkwrite+0x391/0x650
ntfs_filemap_page_mkwrite+0x1ac/0x400
do_page_mkwrite+0x15c/0x280
__handle_mm_fault+0xd6d/0x1ca0
handle_mm_fault+0x19c/0x470
do_user_addr_fault+0x23b/0x9c0
exc_page_fault+0x5c/0xc0
asm_exc_page_fault+0x26/0x30
Fix this by copying the needed runlist fields while the read lock is still
held and using only those scalar snapshots after unlocking.
After the snapshot, ntfs_attr_map_cluster() can also find that the range
is already mapped and return balloc=false. Only call ntfs_dio_zero_range()
when new clusters were allocated, matching the write iomap path and
preserving the zero-newly-allocated-holes behavior.
ntfs: avoid stale runlist element dereference in fallocate
ntfs_attr_fallocate() allocates holes and delayed allocations inside
initialized size by looking up the current runlist element under
ni->runlist.lock. The returned struct runlist_element is only a borrowed
pointer into ni->runlist.rl. A writer can replace and free that array
after the read lock is dropped, so later reads of rl->lcn, rl->length and
rl->vcn can touch freed memory.
The buggy scenario involves two paths, with each column showing the order
within that path:
ntfs_attr_fallocate():
1. Take ni->runlist.lock for read.
2. Get rl from ntfs_attr_find_vcn_nolock().
3. Drop ni->runlist.lock.
4. Read rl->lcn, rl->length and rl->vcn.
mmap page_mkwrite:
1. Enter ntfs_filemap_page_mkwrite().
2. Reach __ntfs_write_iomap_begin() and ntfs_attr_map_cluster().
3. Merge allocation state with ntfs_runlists_merge().
4. Reallocate ni->runlist.rl in ntfs_rl_realloc(), freeing the old array.
Validation reproduced this kernel report:
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in ntfs_attr_fallocate+0xbb8/0xd00
Call Trace:
<TASK>
dump_stack_lvl+0x66/0xa0
print_report+0xce/0x630
? ntfs_attr_fallocate+0xbb8/0xd00
? srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5
? __virt_addr_valid+0x20d/0x410
? ntfs_attr_fallocate+0xbb8/0xd00
kasan_report+0xe0/0x110
? ntfs_attr_fallocate+0xbb8/0xd00
ntfs_attr_fallocate+0xbb8/0xd00
? lock_acquire+0x2b8/0x2f0
? __pfx_ntfs_attr_fallocate+0x10/0x10
? 0xffffffffc0000095
? down_write+0x10d/0x1e0
ntfs_fallocate+0x5c9/0x1d00
? __pfx_ntfs_fallocate+0x10/0x10
? srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5
? lock_acquire+0x2b8/0x2f0
? srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5
? selinux_file_permission+0x3a7/0x510
vfs_fallocate+0x29d/0xd30
__x64_sys_fallocate+0xc7/0x150
? do_syscall_64+0x81/0x6a0
do_syscall_64+0x115/0x6a0
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f
Allocated by task 410:
kasan_save_stack+0x33/0x60
kasan_save_track+0x14/0x30
__kasan_kmalloc+0xaa/0xb0
__kvmalloc_node_noprof+0x353/0x920
ntfs_rl_realloc+0x3f/0x110
ntfs_runlists_merge+0xaa3/0x3010
ntfs_attr_map_cluster+0x4e5/0xf80
ntfs_attr_fallocate+0x53f/0xd00
ntfs_fallocate+0x5c9/0x1d00
vfs_fallocate+0x29d/0xd30
__x64_sys_fallocate+0xc7/0x150
do_syscall_64+0x115/0x6a0
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f
Freed by task 424:
kasan_save_stack+0x33/0x60
kasan_save_track+0x14/0x30
kasan_save_free_info+0x3b/0x60
__kasan_slab_free+0x5f/0x80
kfree+0x307/0x580
ntfs_rl_realloc+0x6f/0x110
ntfs_runlists_merge+0x7b1/0x3010
ntfs_attr_map_cluster+0x4e5/0xf80
__ntfs_write_iomap_begin+0x8cd/0x2280
iomap_iter+0x6de/0x11e0
iomap_page_mkwrite+0x391/0x650
ntfs_filemap_page_mkwrite+0x1ac/0x400
do_page_mkwrite+0x15c/0x280
__handle_mm_fault+0xd6d/0x1ca0
handle_mm_fault+0x19c/0x470
do_user_addr_fault+0x23b/0x9c0
exc_page_fault+0x5c/0xc0
asm_exc_page_fault+0x26/0x30
Fix this by copying the needed runlist fields while the read lock is still
held and using only those scalar snapshots after unlocking.
After the snapshot, ntfs_attr_map_cluster() can also find that the range
is already mapped and return balloc=false. Only call ntfs_dio_zero_range()
when new clusters were allocated, matching the write iomap path and
preserving the zero-newly-allocated-holes behavior.
Published:
2026-08-15
Score:
n/a
EPSS:
< 1% Very Low
KEV:
No
Impact:
n/a
Action:
n/a
Analysis
Analysis and contextual insights are available on OpenCVE Cloud.
Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).
| Vendor | Product | Default status | Versions | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | unaffected |
|
|||||||||||||||
| Linux | Linux | affected |
|
No data.
No data.
No data available yet.
Remediation
No vendor fix or workaround currently provided.
Additional remediation guidance may be available on OpenCVE Cloud.
Tracking
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Advisories
No advisories yet.
References
History
Sat, 15 Aug 2026 19:45:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| Weaknesses | CWE-416 |
Sat, 15 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| Description | In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ntfs: avoid stale runlist element dereference in fallocate ntfs_attr_fallocate() allocates holes and delayed allocations inside initialized size by looking up the current runlist element under ni->runlist.lock. The returned struct runlist_element is only a borrowed pointer into ni->runlist.rl. A writer can replace and free that array after the read lock is dropped, so later reads of rl->lcn, rl->length and rl->vcn can touch freed memory. The buggy scenario involves two paths, with each column showing the order within that path: ntfs_attr_fallocate(): 1. Take ni->runlist.lock for read. 2. Get rl from ntfs_attr_find_vcn_nolock(). 3. Drop ni->runlist.lock. 4. Read rl->lcn, rl->length and rl->vcn. mmap page_mkwrite: 1. Enter ntfs_filemap_page_mkwrite(). 2. Reach __ntfs_write_iomap_begin() and ntfs_attr_map_cluster(). 3. Merge allocation state with ntfs_runlists_merge(). 4. Reallocate ni->runlist.rl in ntfs_rl_realloc(), freeing the old array. Validation reproduced this kernel report: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in ntfs_attr_fallocate+0xbb8/0xd00 Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x66/0xa0 print_report+0xce/0x630 ? ntfs_attr_fallocate+0xbb8/0xd00 ? srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5 ? __virt_addr_valid+0x20d/0x410 ? ntfs_attr_fallocate+0xbb8/0xd00 kasan_report+0xe0/0x110 ? ntfs_attr_fallocate+0xbb8/0xd00 ntfs_attr_fallocate+0xbb8/0xd00 ? lock_acquire+0x2b8/0x2f0 ? __pfx_ntfs_attr_fallocate+0x10/0x10 ? 0xffffffffc0000095 ? down_write+0x10d/0x1e0 ntfs_fallocate+0x5c9/0x1d00 ? __pfx_ntfs_fallocate+0x10/0x10 ? srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5 ? lock_acquire+0x2b8/0x2f0 ? srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5 ? selinux_file_permission+0x3a7/0x510 vfs_fallocate+0x29d/0xd30 __x64_sys_fallocate+0xc7/0x150 ? do_syscall_64+0x81/0x6a0 do_syscall_64+0x115/0x6a0 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f Allocated by task 410: kasan_save_stack+0x33/0x60 kasan_save_track+0x14/0x30 __kasan_kmalloc+0xaa/0xb0 __kvmalloc_node_noprof+0x353/0x920 ntfs_rl_realloc+0x3f/0x110 ntfs_runlists_merge+0xaa3/0x3010 ntfs_attr_map_cluster+0x4e5/0xf80 ntfs_attr_fallocate+0x53f/0xd00 ntfs_fallocate+0x5c9/0x1d00 vfs_fallocate+0x29d/0xd30 __x64_sys_fallocate+0xc7/0x150 do_syscall_64+0x115/0x6a0 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f Freed by task 424: kasan_save_stack+0x33/0x60 kasan_save_track+0x14/0x30 kasan_save_free_info+0x3b/0x60 __kasan_slab_free+0x5f/0x80 kfree+0x307/0x580 ntfs_rl_realloc+0x6f/0x110 ntfs_runlists_merge+0x7b1/0x3010 ntfs_attr_map_cluster+0x4e5/0xf80 __ntfs_write_iomap_begin+0x8cd/0x2280 iomap_iter+0x6de/0x11e0 iomap_page_mkwrite+0x391/0x650 ntfs_filemap_page_mkwrite+0x1ac/0x400 do_page_mkwrite+0x15c/0x280 __handle_mm_fault+0xd6d/0x1ca0 handle_mm_fault+0x19c/0x470 do_user_addr_fault+0x23b/0x9c0 exc_page_fault+0x5c/0xc0 asm_exc_page_fault+0x26/0x30 Fix this by copying the needed runlist fields while the read lock is still held and using only those scalar snapshots after unlocking. After the snapshot, ntfs_attr_map_cluster() can also find that the range is already mapped and return balloc=false. Only call ntfs_dio_zero_range() when new clusters were allocated, matching the write iomap path and preserving the zero-newly-allocated-holes behavior. | |
| Title | ntfs: avoid stale runlist element dereference in fallocate | |
| First Time appeared |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| CPEs | cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | |
| Vendors & Products |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| References |
|
MITRE
Status: PUBLISHED
Assigner: Linux
Published:
Updated: 2026-08-15T05:55:55.480Z
Reserved: 2026-08-09T03:40:39.921Z
Link: CVE-2026-72353
Vulnrichment
No data.
NVD
Status : Received
Published: 2026-08-15T06:22:08.730
Modified: 2026-08-15T06:22:08.730
Link: CVE-2026-72353
Redhat
No data.
OpenCVE Enrichment
Updated: 2026-08-15T19:30:03Z
Weaknesses