Vulnerability Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fs: ntfs3: fix infinite loop in attr_load_runs_range on inconsistent metadata We found an infinite loop bug in the ntfs3 file system that can lead to a Denial-of-Service (DoS) condition. A malformed NTFS image can cause an infinite loop when an attribute header indicates an empty run list, while directory entries reference it as containing actual data. In NTFS, setting evcn=-1 with svcn=0 is a valid way to represent an empty run list, and run_unpack() correctly handles this by checking if evcn + 1 equals svcn and returning early without parsing any run data. However, this creates a problem when there is metadata inconsistency, where the attribute header claims to be empty (evcn=-1) but the caller expects to read actual data. When run_unpack() immediately returns success upon seeing this condition, it leaves the runs_tree uninitialized with run->runs as a NULL. The calling function attr_load_runs_range() assumes that a successful return means that the runs were loaded and sets clen to 0, expecting the next run_lookup_entry() call to succeed. Because runs_tree remains uninitialized, run_lookup_entry() continues to fail, and the loop increments vcn by zero (vcn += 0), leading to an infinite loop. This patch adds a retry counter to detect when run_lookup_entry() fails consecutively after attr_load_runs_vcn(). If the run is still not found on the second attempt, it indicates corrupted metadata and returns -EINVAL, preventing the Denial-of-Service (DoS) vulnerability.
CVSS Score
MEDIUM
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions |
|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux Kernel | >= 5.15, < 5.15.202 |
Related Weaknesses (CWE)
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3c3a6e951b9b53dab2ac460a655313cf04c4a10aPatch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4b90f16e4bb5607fb35e7802eb67874038da4640Patch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6f07a590616ff5f57f7c041d98e463fad9e9f763Patch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/78b61f7eac37a63284774b147f38dd0be6cad43cPatch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a89bc96d5abd8a4a8d5d911884ea347efcdf460bPatch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/af839013c70a24779f9d1afb1575952009312d38Patch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c0b43c45d45f59e7faad48675a50231a210c379bPatch
FAQ
What is CVE-2025-71265?
CVE-2025-71265 is a vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 (MEDIUM). In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fs: ntfs3: fix infinite loop in attr_load_runs_range on inconsistent metadata We found an infinite loop bug in the ntfs3 file syst...
How severe is CVE-2025-71265?
CVE-2025-71265 has been rated MEDIUM with a CVSS base score of 5.5/10. Review the CVSS metrics above for detailed severity breakdown.
Is there a patch for CVE-2025-71265?
Check the references section above for vendor advisories and patch information. Affected products include: Linux Linux Kernel.