CVE-2026-72203

/// Technical description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

ntfs: skip extent mft records in writeback to prevent deadlock

This patch fixes the ABBA deadlock between extent_lock and extent

mrec_lock triggered by xfstests generic/113, that occurs since the commit

6994acf33bae ("ntfs: use base mft_no when looking up base inode for

extent record").

Path A (inode writeback):

VFS writeback

-> ntfs_write_inode()

-> __ntfs_write_inode()

-> mutex_lock(&ni->extent_lock)

-> mutex_lock(&tni->mrec_lock)

Path B (MFT folio writeback):

VFS writeback of $MFT dirty folios

-> ntfs_mft_writepages()

-> ntfs_write_mft_block()

-> ntfs_may_write_mft_record()

-> holds one extent mrec_lock from a previous iteration

-> tries to acquire another base inode extent_lock

By removing all extent_lock and extent mrec_lock acquisition from the MFT

folio writeback path, the ABBA lock ordering is eliminated:

Path A: __ntfs_write_inode(): e

/// Remediation

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

/// References