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

ntfs: propagate reparse index insertion failure

update_reparse_data() ignores the return value of
set_reparse_index(). When index insertion fails, the code removes
the just-written reparse data as cleanup but still returns 0, so
symlink(2) (and WSL special file creation) reports success while
no reparse data exists on disk. When there was no previous reparse
data (oldsize == 0), the failure was likewise silently ignored.

Propagate the error to the caller.
Published: 2026-09-25
Score: n/a
EPSS: n/a
KEV: No
Impact: Inaccurate symlink creation status due to unchecked error handling
Action: Immediate Patch
AI Analysis

Impact

The Linux kernel NTFS implementation fails to propagate an error from a reparse index insertion routine, causing the system to return success despite the reparse data never being written to disk. Functions such as symlink(2) or Windows Subsystem for Linux file creation thus report a 0 return code while the file effectively does not exist. This unchecked error condition (CWE-391) and the failure to perform required security checks (CWE-210) allow an attacker or misled user to assume the presence of a file or the success of an operation that is in fact incomplete.

Affected Systems

All Linux kernel builds that include NTFS filesystem support are potentially impacted. Because a generic CPE identifier indicates Linux kernel, no specific vulnerable versions are listed. Administrators should treat every kernel variant that ships with NTFS support as susceptible until a corrective update is applied.

Risk and Exploitability

The CVSS and EPSS scores are not provided, so quantitative severity remains undetermined. The flaw is limited to kernel interactions with NTFS mounts or the WSL environment and merely results in a false success signal; it does not provide remote code execution or privilege escalation. Consequently, the immediate threat is moderate, yet the inaccurate status can mislead troubleshooting or facilitate subtle misconfigurations. No exploitation of the flaw has been documented, and it is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on September 25, 2026 at 12:46 UTC.

Remediation

No vendor fix or workaround currently provided.

OpenCVE Recommended Actions

  • Upgrade the Linux kernel to a release that contains the ntfs reparse index error fix.
  • If the kernel update cannot be applied immediately, consider disabling NTFS filesystem support or removing Windows Subsystem for Linux components until the patch is available.
  • Monitor system logs for unexpected successful symlink or special file creation messages that may indicate the silent failure is occurring.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on September 25, 2026 at 12:46 UTC.

Tracking

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Advisories

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History

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 13:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-210
CWE-391

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 10:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ntfs: propagate reparse index insertion failure update_reparse_data() ignores the return value of set_reparse_index(). When index insertion fails, the code removes the just-written reparse data as cleanup but still returns 0, so symlink(2) (and WSL special file creation) reports success while no reparse data exists on disk. When there was no previous reparse data (oldsize == 0), the failure was likewise silently ignored. Propagate the error to the caller.
Title ntfs: propagate reparse index insertion failure
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References

Subscriptions

Linux Linux Kernel
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2026-09-25T10:36:17.213Z

Reserved: 2026-09-25T10:25:14.319Z

Link: CVE-2026-98141

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Received

Published: 2026-09-25T11:17:45.603

Modified: 2026-09-25T11:17:45.603

Link: CVE-2026-98141

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-09-25T15:00:17Z

Weaknesses
  • CWE-210

    Self-generated Error Message Containing Sensitive Information

  • CWE-391

    Unchecked Error Condition