An infinite loop bug exists in the Linux kernel’s ntfs3 filesystem driver. When a malformed NTFS image contains an ATTR_LIST attribute with zero data size, the driver attempts to allocate memory for it, encounters an inconsistent state, and repeatedly reloads and re‑enumerates the attribute list. This causes the mount operation to hang indefinitely, effectively denying service to the affected volume.

Any system running a Linux kernel with the ntfs3 driver that mounts NTFS volumes is vulnerable. Because the advisory does not list specific kernel versions, all releases prior to the patch that contain the unmodified ntfs3 code are considered affected. This includes desktop, server, and embedded Linux environments that may automatically mount removable storage devices.

The EPSS score is below 1% and the vulnerability is not in CISA’s KEV catalog, indicating a low likelihood of exploitation. The attack vector is inferred to involve an attacker supplying a crafted NTFS image to a system that mounts it, thereby triggering the infinite loop and hanging a kernel thread. The impact is limited to denial of service; there is no elevated privilege or data compromise. The CVSS score of 5.5 suggests moderate severity.