CVE-2026-98138

MEDIUMCVSS 5.5/10EPSS 0.10%

Last modified

CVE-2026-98138 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 5.5/10 on the CVSS scale. In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ntfs: do not mark the volume clean in sync_fs when errors were recorded ntfs_put_super() and the remount-read-only path both clear the dirty bit only when NVolErrors(vol) is false. ntfs_sync_fs() clears it unconditionally, so any sync() on a volume that recorded an error marks that volume clean. EPSS estimates a 0.10% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ntfs: do not mark the volume clean in sync_fs when errors were recorded ntfs_put_super() and the remount-read-only path both clear the dirty bit only when NVolErrors(vol) is false. ntfs_sync_fs() clears it unconditionally, so any sync() on a volume that recorded an error marks that volume clean. A volume without this set is then seen as not needing recovery and it does not run one, so whatever went wrong is never repaired. This change skips resetting the dirty bit when there are volume errors. Reproduced on a volume whose $MFTMirr does not match $MFT, which sets the error flag while leaving the mount read-write: after a write and a sync, the on-disk volume flags read 0x0000 with this driver and 0x0001 with the guard in place.

Metrics

EPSS Probability
0.10%

0.8th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Affected Software

VendorProductVersionsUpdate
LinuxLinux Kernel>= 7.1, < 7.2.7—
LinuxLinux Kernel7.3Rc1

References

Timeline

Published
Last Modified
Status
Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-98138?
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ntfs: do not mark the volume clean in sync_fs when errors were recorded ntfs_put_super() and the remount-read-only path both clear the dirty bit only when NVolErrors(vol) is false. ntfs_sync_fs() clears it unconditionally, so any sync() on a volume that recorded an error marks that volume clean. A volume without this set is then seen as not needing recovery and it does not run one, so whatever went wrong is never repaired. This change skips resetting the dirty bit when there are volume errors. Reproduced on a volume whose $MFTMirr does not match $MFT, which sets the error flag while leaving the mount read-write: after a write and a sync, the on-disk volume flags read 0x0000 with this driver and 0x0001 with the guard in place.
How severe is CVE-2026-98138?
CVE-2026-98138 has a CVSS score of 5.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.10% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2026-98138?
Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

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Source: NVD / NIST