---
id: CVE-2025-71266
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  fs: ntfs3: check return value of indx_find to avoid infinite loop

  We found an infinite loop bug in the ntfs3 file system that can lead to a
  Denial-of-Service (DoS) con…
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  fs: ntfs3: check return value of indx_find to avoid infinite loop

  We found an infinite loop bug in the ntfs3 file system that can lead to a
  Denial-of-Service (DoS) con…
severity: medium
cvss: 5.5
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'
cwe:
  - CWE-835
vendor: linux
product: linux_kernel
affected:
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.15.1, < 5.15.202'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.16, < 6.1.165'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.2, < 6.6.128'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.7, < 6.12.75'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.13, < 6.18.16'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.19, < 6.19.6'
  - linux_kernel = 5.15
patched:
  - linux_kernel 6.19.6
published: '2026-03-18'
updated: '2026-10-15'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-15T02:18:25.627'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-71266'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0ad7a1be44479503dbe5c699759861ef5b8bd70c'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/14c3188afbedfd5178bbabb8002487ea14b37b56'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1732053c8a6b360e2d5afb1b34fe9779398b072c'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/398e768d1accd1f5645492ab996005d7aa84a5b0'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/435d34719db0e130f6f0c621d67ed524cc1a7d10'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/68e32694be231c1cdb99b7637a657314e88e1a96'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b0ea441f44ce64fa514a415d4a9e6e2b06e7946c'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-019113.html'
    label: 0b142b55-0307-4c5a-b3c9-f314f3fb7c5e
  - url: 'https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-082556.html'
    label: 0b142b55-0307-4c5a-b3c9-f314f3fb7c5e
  - url: 'https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-457936.html'
    label: 0b142b55-0307-4c5a-b3c9-f314f3fb7c5e
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00129
epssPercentile: 0.02559
ingestedAt: '2026-09-08T15:33:26.994Z'
---

## Overview

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

fs: ntfs3: check return value of indx_find to avoid infinite loop

We found an infinite loop bug in the ntfs3 file system that can lead to a
Denial-of-Service (DoS) condition.

A malformed dentry in the ntfs3 filesystem can cause the kernel to hang
during the lookup operations. By setting the HAS_SUB_NODE flag in an
INDEX_ENTRY within a directory's INDEX_ALLOCATION block and manipulating the
VCN pointer, an attacker can cause the indx_find() function to repeatedly
read the same block, allocating 4 KB of memory each time. The kernel lacks
VCN loop detection and depth limits, causing memory exhaustion and an OOM
crash.

This patch adds a return value check for fnd_push() to prevent a memory
exhaustion vulnerability caused by infinite loops. When the index exceeds the
size of the fnd->nodes array, fnd_push() returns -EINVAL. The indx_find()
function checks this return value and stops processing, preventing further
memory allocation.

## Affected

- `linux_kernel >= 5.15.1, < 5.15.202`
- `linux_kernel >= 5.16, < 6.1.165`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.2, < 6.6.128`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.7, < 6.12.75`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.13, < 6.18.16`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.19, < 6.19.6`
- `linux_kernel = 5.15`

## Remediation

Upgrade past the affected range:

- `linux_kernel 6.19.6`