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CVE-2026-72210

9.8 · CRITICAL

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ntfs: fix off-by-one in mapping pairs decoding bounds checks In ntfs_mapping_pairs_decompress(), attr_end points one byte past…

Published Aug 15, 2026EPSS 0.55%

Overview

CVE-2026-72210 is a critical-severity vulnerability. It was published on August 15, 2026 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL).

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8, rated CRITICAL. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.

Technical description

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

ntfs: fix off-by-one in mapping pairs decoding bounds checks

In ntfs_mapping_pairs_decompress(), attr_end points one byte past the

end of the attribute record:

attr_end = (u8 *)attr + le32_to_cpu(attr->length);

The two bounds checks validating that mapping pair data bytes fit within

the attribute use strict greater-than (>), which allows a one-byte

out-of-bounds read when the data extends exactly to attr_end:

b = *buf & 0xf;

if (b) {

if (unlikely(buf + b > attr_end)) // off-by-one

goto io_error;

for (deltaxcn = (s8)buf[b--]; b; b--)

deltaxcn = (deltaxcn << 8) + buf[b];

}

When buf + b == attr_end, the check evaluates to false and buf[b] reads

one byte past the valid attribute boundary. The same pattern appears in

the LCN delta bytes check.

Fix both checks to use >= so that buf[b] at exactly attr_end is

correctly rejected as out of bounds.

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.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-72210?

CVE-2026-72210 is a critical-severity vulnerability. It was published on August 15, 2026 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL).

How severe is CVE-2026-72210?

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8, rated CRITICAL. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.

How do I fix or remediate CVE-2026-72210?

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.

How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2026-72210?

CyberStrike is an open-source, AI-augmented pentesting engine. Rather than flag a version number, it tests whether an issue like CVE-2026-72210 is actually reachable in your own applications and APIs, then verifies each finding before reporting it. That tells you if the weakness is a real, exploitable risk in your environment or a false positive you can safely deprioritize.

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