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: 5.5 Medium
EPSS: < 1% Very Low
KEV: No
Impact: Inaccurate symlink creation status due to unchecked error handling and failure to propagate error codes
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, the failure to perform required security checks, and the failure to handle error return codes (CWE-252) 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 score of 5.5 and EPSS score < 1% provide a moderate quantitative severity estimate. 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 30, 2026 at 13:16 UTC.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record.

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 30, 2026 at 13:16 UTC.

Tracking

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Advisories

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History

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 09:30:00 +0000

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

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 13:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-252
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

threat_severity

Moderate


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: 2026-10-19T09:14:34.773Z

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

Link: CVE-2026-98141

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Undergoing Analysis

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

Modified: 2026-10-19T10:18:13.367

Link: CVE-2026-98141

cve-icon Redhat

Severity : Moderate

Publid Date: 2026-09-25T00:00:00Z

Links: CVE-2026-98141 - Bugzilla

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-09-30T13:30:17Z

Weaknesses