In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
ntfs: avoid calling post_write_mst_fixup() for invalid index_block
ntfs_icx_ib_sync_write() calls post_write_mst_fixup() when ntfs_ib_write()
returns an error, intending to restore the buffer after a failed write.
However, ntfs_ib_write() returns an error immediately if
pre_write_mst_fixup() validation fails. The caller,
ntfs_icx_ib_sync_write(), interprets any error as a write failure
requiring rollback. It does not differentiate between I/O errors and
validation failures, and calls post_write_mst_fixup() anyway.
Since post_write_mst_fixup() assumes that the index_block contents is
correct, it doesn't perform the boundary checks, which results in
out-of-bounds memory access.
An attacker can craft a malicious NTFS image with:
- large index_block.usa_ofs offset, pointing outside the ntfs_record
- index_block.usa_count = 0, causing integer underflow
- or index_block.usa_count larger than actual number of sectors in the
ntfs_record, causing out-of-bounds access
KASAN reports describing the memory corruption:
==================================================================
BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in post_write_mst_fixup+0x19c/0x1d0
Read of size 2 at addr ffff8881586c9018 by task p/9428
Call Trace:
<TASK>
dump_stack_lvl+0x100/0x190
print_report+0x139/0x4ad
? post_write_mst_fixup+0x19c/0x1d0
? __virt_addr_valid+0x262/0x500
? post_write_mst_fixup+0x19c/0x1d0
kasan_report+0xe4/0x1d0
? post_write_mst_fixup+0x19c/0x1d0
post_write_mst_fixup+0x19c/0x1d0
ntfs_icx_ib_sync_write+0x179/0x220
ntfs_inode_sync_filename+0x83d/0x1080
__ntfs_write_inode+0x1049/0x1480
ntfs_file_fsync+0x131/0x9b0
==================================================================
BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in post_write_mst_fixup+0x1aa/0x1d0
Write of size 2 at addr ffff8881586c91fe by task p/9428
Call Trace:
<TASK>
dump_stack_lvl+0x100/0x190
print_report+0x139/0x4ad
? post_write_mst_fixup+0x1aa/0x1d0
? __virt_addr_valid+0x262/0x500
? post_write_mst_fixup+0x1aa/0x1d0
kasan_report+0xe4/0x1d0
? post_write_mst_fixup+0x1aa/0x1d0
post_write_mst_fixup+0x1aa/0x1d0
ntfs_icx_ib_sync_write+0x179/0x220
ntfs_inode_sync_filename+0x83d/0x1080
__ntfs_write_inode+0x1049/0x1480
ntfs_file_fsync+0x131/0x9b0
==================================================================
Let's move the post_write_mst_fixup() call to ntfs_ib_write().
The ntfs_ib_write() function calls pre_write_mst_fixup() at the beginning.
If the index_block contents is invalid, pre_write_mst_fixup() fails and
ntfs_ib_write() returns early without calling post_write_mst_fixup() on
bad index_block.
ntfs: avoid calling post_write_mst_fixup() for invalid index_block
ntfs_icx_ib_sync_write() calls post_write_mst_fixup() when ntfs_ib_write()
returns an error, intending to restore the buffer after a failed write.
However, ntfs_ib_write() returns an error immediately if
pre_write_mst_fixup() validation fails. The caller,
ntfs_icx_ib_sync_write(), interprets any error as a write failure
requiring rollback. It does not differentiate between I/O errors and
validation failures, and calls post_write_mst_fixup() anyway.
Since post_write_mst_fixup() assumes that the index_block contents is
correct, it doesn't perform the boundary checks, which results in
out-of-bounds memory access.
An attacker can craft a malicious NTFS image with:
- large index_block.usa_ofs offset, pointing outside the ntfs_record
- index_block.usa_count = 0, causing integer underflow
- or index_block.usa_count larger than actual number of sectors in the
ntfs_record, causing out-of-bounds access
KASAN reports describing the memory corruption:
==================================================================
BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in post_write_mst_fixup+0x19c/0x1d0
Read of size 2 at addr ffff8881586c9018 by task p/9428
Call Trace:
<TASK>
dump_stack_lvl+0x100/0x190
print_report+0x139/0x4ad
? post_write_mst_fixup+0x19c/0x1d0
? __virt_addr_valid+0x262/0x500
? post_write_mst_fixup+0x19c/0x1d0
kasan_report+0xe4/0x1d0
? post_write_mst_fixup+0x19c/0x1d0
post_write_mst_fixup+0x19c/0x1d0
ntfs_icx_ib_sync_write+0x179/0x220
ntfs_inode_sync_filename+0x83d/0x1080
__ntfs_write_inode+0x1049/0x1480
ntfs_file_fsync+0x131/0x9b0
==================================================================
BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in post_write_mst_fixup+0x1aa/0x1d0
Write of size 2 at addr ffff8881586c91fe by task p/9428
Call Trace:
<TASK>
dump_stack_lvl+0x100/0x190
print_report+0x139/0x4ad
? post_write_mst_fixup+0x1aa/0x1d0
? __virt_addr_valid+0x262/0x500
? post_write_mst_fixup+0x1aa/0x1d0
kasan_report+0xe4/0x1d0
? post_write_mst_fixup+0x1aa/0x1d0
post_write_mst_fixup+0x1aa/0x1d0
ntfs_icx_ib_sync_write+0x179/0x220
ntfs_inode_sync_filename+0x83d/0x1080
__ntfs_write_inode+0x1049/0x1480
ntfs_file_fsync+0x131/0x9b0
==================================================================
Let's move the post_write_mst_fixup() call to ntfs_ib_write().
The ntfs_ib_write() function calls pre_write_mst_fixup() at the beginning.
If the index_block contents is invalid, pre_write_mst_fixup() fails and
ntfs_ib_write() returns early without calling post_write_mst_fixup() on
bad index_block.
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 |
|
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Advisories
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Fixes
Solution
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Workaround
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References
History
Sat, 25 Jul 2026 09:30:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| Description | In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ntfs: avoid calling post_write_mst_fixup() for invalid index_block ntfs_icx_ib_sync_write() calls post_write_mst_fixup() when ntfs_ib_write() returns an error, intending to restore the buffer after a failed write. However, ntfs_ib_write() returns an error immediately if pre_write_mst_fixup() validation fails. The caller, ntfs_icx_ib_sync_write(), interprets any error as a write failure requiring rollback. It does not differentiate between I/O errors and validation failures, and calls post_write_mst_fixup() anyway. Since post_write_mst_fixup() assumes that the index_block contents is correct, it doesn't perform the boundary checks, which results in out-of-bounds memory access. An attacker can craft a malicious NTFS image with: - large index_block.usa_ofs offset, pointing outside the ntfs_record - index_block.usa_count = 0, causing integer underflow - or index_block.usa_count larger than actual number of sectors in the ntfs_record, causing out-of-bounds access KASAN reports describing the memory corruption: ================================================================== BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in post_write_mst_fixup+0x19c/0x1d0 Read of size 2 at addr ffff8881586c9018 by task p/9428 Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x100/0x190 print_report+0x139/0x4ad ? post_write_mst_fixup+0x19c/0x1d0 ? __virt_addr_valid+0x262/0x500 ? post_write_mst_fixup+0x19c/0x1d0 kasan_report+0xe4/0x1d0 ? post_write_mst_fixup+0x19c/0x1d0 post_write_mst_fixup+0x19c/0x1d0 ntfs_icx_ib_sync_write+0x179/0x220 ntfs_inode_sync_filename+0x83d/0x1080 __ntfs_write_inode+0x1049/0x1480 ntfs_file_fsync+0x131/0x9b0 ================================================================== BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in post_write_mst_fixup+0x1aa/0x1d0 Write of size 2 at addr ffff8881586c91fe by task p/9428 Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x100/0x190 print_report+0x139/0x4ad ? post_write_mst_fixup+0x1aa/0x1d0 ? __virt_addr_valid+0x262/0x500 ? post_write_mst_fixup+0x1aa/0x1d0 kasan_report+0xe4/0x1d0 ? post_write_mst_fixup+0x1aa/0x1d0 post_write_mst_fixup+0x1aa/0x1d0 ntfs_icx_ib_sync_write+0x179/0x220 ntfs_inode_sync_filename+0x83d/0x1080 __ntfs_write_inode+0x1049/0x1480 ntfs_file_fsync+0x131/0x9b0 ================================================================== Let's move the post_write_mst_fixup() call to ntfs_ib_write(). The ntfs_ib_write() function calls pre_write_mst_fixup() at the beginning. If the index_block contents is invalid, pre_write_mst_fixup() fails and ntfs_ib_write() returns early without calling post_write_mst_fixup() on bad index_block. | |
| Title | ntfs: avoid calling post_write_mst_fixup() for invalid index_block | |
| First Time appeared |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| CPEs | cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | |
| Vendors & Products |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| References |
|
Projects
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MITRE
Status: PUBLISHED
Assigner: Linux
Published:
Updated: 2026-07-25T08:51:07.194Z
Reserved: 2026-07-19T15:36:31.787Z
Link: CVE-2026-64431
Vulnrichment
No data.
NVD
No data.
Redhat
No data.
OpenCVE Enrichment
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Weaknesses
No weakness.