CVE-2026-97438

HIGHPre-NVD 7.17.1—
EchelonGraph scoreHIGH confidence

Score 7.1 from GitHub Security Advisory (severity: HIGH) published 2026-09-24. A secondary CVSS source baseline 7.1; sources differ by 0.0.

Triggered by: GitHub Security Advisory CVSS
Sources: epss, ghsa, secondary
Trending — 4 sources updated this week
7.1EG
EchelonGraph verdictPlan mitigationSerious severity, but no confirmed exploitation yet.
  • High severity, but no confirmed exploitation yet
CISA-KEV: Not listedEPSS PROB: 0.1%CVSS: 7.1Exploit: None knownExposed services: Not assessed

No fix is confirmed yet — apply a workaround or compensating control (WAF / firewall / segmentation) and watch for the fix.

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

fs/ntfs3: validate index entry key bounds

[BUG] A malformed NTFS directory index entry can advertise a key_size larger than the bytes actually present in its NTFS_DE payload. Directory lookup then passes that malformed key to cmp_fnames(), which can read past the end of the kmalloc'ed index buffer.

BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in fname_full_size fs/ntfs3/ntfs.h:590 [inline] BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in cmp_fnames+0x1ea/0x230 fs/ntfs3/index.c:46 Read of size 1 at addr ffff88801c313018 by task syz.6.3365/9279

Call Trace: __dump_stack lib/dump_stack.c:94 [inline] dump_stack_lvl+0xbe/0x130 lib/dump_stack.c:120 print_address_description mm/kasan/report.c:378 [inline] print_report+0xd1/0x650 mm/kasan/report.c:482 kasan_report+0xfb/0x140 mm/kasan/report.c:595 __asan_report_load1_noabort+0x14/0x30 mm/kasan/report_generic.c:378 fname_full_size fs/ntfs3/ntfs.h:590 [inline] cmp_fnames+0x1ea/0x230 fs/ntfs3/index.c:46 hdr_find_e.isra.0+0x3ed/0x670 fs/ntfs3/index.c:762 indx_find+0x4b5/0x900 fs/ntfs3/index.c:1186 dir_search_u+0x2c0/0x460 fs/ntfs3/dir.c:254 ntfs_lookup+0x1cc/0x2a0 fs/ntfs3/namei.c:85 __lookup_slow+0x241/0x450 fs/namei.c:1816 lookup_slow fs/namei.c:1833 [inline] walk_component+0x31c/0x570 fs/namei.c:2151 link_path_walk+0x592/0xd60 fs/namei.c:2519 path_lookupat+0x138/0x660 fs/namei.c:2675 filename_lookup+0x1f3/0x560 fs/namei.c:2705 filename_setxattr+0xad/0x1c0 fs/xattr.c:660 path_setxattrat+0x1d8/0x280 fs/xattr.c:713 __do_sys_lsetxattr fs/xattr.c:754 [inline] __se_sys_lsetxattr fs/xattr.c:750 [inline] __x64_sys_lsetxattr+0xd0/0x150 fs/xattr.c:750 ...

Allocated by task 9279: kasan_save_stack+0x39/0x70 mm/kasan/common.c:56 kasan_save_track+0x14/0x40 mm/kasan/common.c:77 kasan_save_alloc_info+0x37/0x60 mm/kasan/generic.c:573 poison_kmalloc_redzone mm/kasan/common.c:400 [inline] __kasan_kmalloc+0xc3/0xd0 mm/kasan/common.c:417 kasan_kmalloc include/linux/kasan.h:262 [inline] __do_kmalloc_node mm/slub.c:5650 [inline] __kmalloc_noprof+0x2bd/0x900 mm/slub.c:5662 kmalloc_noprof include/linux/slab.h:961 [inline] indx_read+0x41d/0xad0 fs/ntfs3/index.c:1059 indx_find+0x447/0x900 fs/ntfs3/index.c:1179 dir_search_u+0x2c0/0x460 fs/ntfs3/dir.c:254 ntfs_lookup+0x1cc/0x2a0 fs/ntfs3/namei.c:85 __lookup_slow+0x241/0x450 fs/namei.c:1816 lookup_slow fs/namei.c:1833 [inline] walk_component+0x31c/0x570 fs/namei.c:2151 link_path_walk+0x592/0xd60 fs/namei.c:2519 path_lookupat+0x138/0x660 fs/namei.c:2675 filename_lookup+0x1f3/0x560 fs/namei.c:2705 filename_setxattr+0xad/0x1c0 fs/xattr.c:660 path_setxattrat+0x1d8/0x280 fs/xattr.c:713 __do_sys_lsetxattr fs/xattr.c:754 [inline] __se_sys_lsetxattr fs/xattr.c:750 [inline] __x64_sys_lsetxattr+0xd0/0x150 fs/xattr.c:750 ...

[CAUSE] The index-header validators only validated INDEX_HDR-level geometry. They did not walk each NTFS_DE to verify entry alignment, subnode layout, or that key_size fit inside the entry payload. They also allowed a last sentinel entry to carry a non-zero key_size.

[FIX] Walk every NTFS_DE in ntfs3's index-header validators and reject entries with invalid layout, mismatched subnode state, oversized key_size, or non-zero sentinel keys before lookup or log replay can consume them.

CVSS v3
7.1
EG Score
7.1HIGHhigh confidence
EG Risk
37
EG Risk 37/100CISA SSVC

EG Risk is EchelonGraph's 0–100 priority score: it fuses intrinsic severity with real-world exploitation and automatability so you can rank equal-severity CVEs and fix the most dangerous first. Higher = act sooner. Distinct from the 0–10 EG Score (severity).

How it’s computed
Severity71% × 45%
Exploitation0% × 40%
Automatability30% × 15%
CISA SSVC: Track at low or medium mission impact; Track or Attend at high (mission-essential systems).
Action: No fix is confirmed yet. Restrict network exposure of the affected system or apply the vendor's mitigation within your standard update timelines at low or medium mission impact and sooner than that at high, and watch the vendor's advisory for the fix.
EPSS PROB
0.1%
EPSS %ILE
2nd
KEV
Not listed

CISA SSVCTrack at low or medium mission impact; Track or Attend at high (mission-essential systems).

No fix is confirmed yet. Restrict network exposure of the affected system or apply the vendor's mitigation within your standard update timelines at low or medium mission impact and sooner than that at high, and watch the vendor's advisory for the fix.

Exploitation none (no KEV listing, exploit record or EPSS ≥ 50%) · Automatable unknown (not published for this CVE) · Technical impact partial (CVSS below 9.0). Mission impact is CISA's Mission & Well-being decision point, and only you can judge it: high means the affected system is essential to your organisation's mission, or its compromise could cause irreversible harm to people. CISA's decision table

Published

September 24, 2026

Last Modified

October 3, 2026

Advisory Details (3)

Auto-updated Sep 25, 2026
No patch confirmed yet.
generic

fs/ntfs3: validate index entry key bounds - kernel/git/stable/linux.git - Linux kernel stable tree

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a8f4fb6a7d58974ffc9aed597401528b181d76dc
generic

fs/ntfs3: validate index entry key bounds - kernel/git/stable/linux.git - Linux kernel stable tree

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/98d6e5d9dc1d34dcffc61549617581a5fe1ef807
generic

fs/ntfs3: validate index entry key bounds - kernel/git/stable/linux.git - Linux kernel stable tree

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0257e3ea00e19129f3ad5c039d8b8fdff0796835

Vendor Advisories for CVE-2026-97438(2)

These vendors published their own advisory mentioning this CVE — often with vendor-specific remediation steps + affected product lists not in NVD.

Affected Packages

(4 across 3 ecosystems)
Debian:12(2)
PackageVulnerable rangeFix by version rangeDependents
linux6.1.106-1 ... 7.2~rc7-1~exp1 (360 versions)
  • every version on: no fix on record
—
linux-6.126.12.100-1~deb12u1, 6.12.101-1~deb12u1, 6.12.107-1~deb12u1
  • every version up to 6.12.111-1~deb12u1: fixed in 6.12.111-1~deb12u1
—
Debian:13(1)
PackageVulnerable rangeFix by version rangeDependents
linux6.12.100-1 ... 6.12.96-1 (35 versions)
  • every version up to 6.12.111-1: fixed in 6.12.111-1
—
Debian:14(1)
PackageVulnerable rangeFix by version rangeDependents
linux6.12.100-1 ... 7.2~rc7-1~exp1 (179 versions)
  • every version up to 7.2.6-1: fixed in 7.2.6-1
—

Data Freshness Timeline

(refreshed 45× in last 7d / 67× in last 30d)

Each row is a source pipeline that fetched or updated this CVE on that date, with what changed. For example, "NVD update" means NVD published or revised its analysis for this CVE; "MITRE cvelistV5" means we ingested or refreshed it from the CNA feed. Most recent first.

  1. 2026-10-05 08:16 UTCEG score recompute
  2. 2026-10-05 08:16 UTCVendor advisory
  3. 2026-10-05 08:16 UTCGHSA enrichment
  4. 2026-10-04 23:23 UTCEPSS rescore
  5. 2026-10-04 21:05 UTCVendor advisory
  6. 2026-10-04 21:05 UTCGHSA enrichment
  7. 2026-10-04 09:53 UTCVendor advisory
  8. 2026-10-04 09:53 UTCGHSA enrichment
  9. 2026-10-03 22:42 UTCEG score recompute
  10. 2026-10-03 22:42 UTCVendor advisory
  11. 2026-10-03 22:42 UTCGHSA enrichment
  12. 2026-10-03 14:26 UTCEPSS rescore
  13. 2026-10-03 11:31 UTCVendor advisory
  14. 2026-10-03 11:31 UTCGHSA enrichment
  15. 2026-10-03 01:01 UTCEG score recompute
  16. 2026-10-03 01:01 UTCVendor advisory
  17. 2026-10-03 01:01 UTCGHSA enrichment
  18. 2026-10-02 17:57 UTCEPSS rescore
  19. 2026-10-02 13:50 UTCVendor advisory
  20. 2026-10-02 13:50 UTCGHSA enrichment
  21. 2026-10-02 02:35 UTCEG score recompute
  22. 2026-10-02 02:35 UTCVendor advisory
  23. 2026-10-02 02:34 UTCGHSA enrichment
  24. 2026-10-01 19:51 UTCEPSS rescore
  25. 2026-10-01 15:20 UTCVendor advisory
Show 42 more
  1. 2026-10-01 15:20 UTCGHSA enrichment
  2. 2026-10-01 04:09 UTCVendor advisory
  3. 2026-10-01 04:09 UTCGHSA enrichment
  4. 2026-09-30 16:57 UTCEG score recompute
  5. 2026-09-30 16:57 UTCVendor advisory
  6. 2026-09-30 16:57 UTCGHSA enrichment
  7. 2026-09-30 15:04 UTCEPSS rescore
  8. 2026-09-30 05:46 UTCVendor advisory
  9. 2026-09-30 05:46 UTCGHSA enrichment
  10. 2026-09-29 18:34 UTCEG score recompute
  11. 2026-09-29 18:34 UTCVendor advisory
  12. 2026-09-29 18:33 UTCGHSA enrichment
  13. 2026-09-29 07:15 UTCEG score recompute
  14. 2026-09-29 07:15 UTCVendor advisory
  15. 2026-09-29 07:15 UTCGHSA enrichment
  16. 2026-09-28 20:04 UTCEG score recompute
  17. 2026-09-28 20:04 UTCVendor advisory
  18. 2026-09-28 20:04 UTCGHSA enrichment
  19. 2026-09-28 13:52 UTCEPSS rescore
  20. 2026-09-28 13:52 UTCEPSS rescore
  21. 2026-09-28 08:49 UTCVendor advisory
  22. 2026-09-28 08:49 UTCGHSA enrichment
  23. 2026-09-27 21:38 UTCEG score recompute
  24. 2026-09-27 21:38 UTCGHSA enrichment
  25. 2026-09-27 13:49 UTCEPSS rescore
  26. 2026-09-27 10:27 UTCGHSA enrichment
  27. 2026-09-26 23:13 UTCEG score recompute
  28. 2026-09-26 23:12 UTCGHSA enrichment
  29. 2026-09-26 15:59 UTCEPSS rescore
  30. 2026-09-26 11:56 UTCGHSA enrichment
  31. 2026-09-26 00:44 UTCEG score recompute
  32. 2026-09-26 00:43 UTCGHSA enrichment
  33. 2026-09-25 13:21 UTCEG score recompute
  34. 2026-09-25 13:21 UTCGHSA enrichment
  35. 2026-09-25 12:54 UTCEG score recompute
  36. 2026-09-25 12:54 UTCGHSA enrichment
  37. 2026-09-25 05:17 UTCEG score recompute▲ 7.10
  38. 2026-09-25 05:17 UTCGHSA enrichment
  39. 2026-09-25 05:16 UTCMITRE cvelistV5CVSS v3 → 7.1 · severity → HIGH
  40. 2026-09-24 17:33 UTCNVD update
  41. 2026-09-24 16:29 UTCEG score recompute
  42. 2026-09-24 16:26 UTCMITRE cvelistV5first tracked

Frequently asked(5)

What is CVE-2026-97438?
CVE-2026-97438 is a high vulnerability published on September 24, 2026. In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fs/ntfs3: validate index entry key bounds [BUG] A malformed NTFS directory index entry can advertise a key_size larger than the bytes actually present in its NTFS_DE payload. Directory lookup then passes that malformed key to…
When was CVE-2026-97438 disclosed?
CVE-2026-97438 was first published on September 24, 2026, with the most recent update on October 3, 2026. EchelonGraph re-ingests CVE updates from NVD on a 2-hour cycle, so this page reflects the latest published state.
Is CVE-2026-97438 actively exploited?
CVE-2026-97438 is not currently on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. FIRST EPSS estimates a 0.1% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days (2nd percentile of EPSS-scored CVEs).
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-97438?
CVE-2026-97438 has a CVSS base score of 7.1 (a secondary CVSS source that NVD displays; NVD's own analysis pending).
How do I remediate CVE-2026-97438?
No fix for CVE-2026-97438 is confirmed yet. Until one is published, restrict network exposure of the affected system or apply the vendor's mitigation — for example, keep it off the internet or limit it to trusted networks — and watch the vendor's advisory for the fix. The vendor advisories EchelonGraph has for CVE-2026-97438 are linked in the Vendor Advisories panel on this page.

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