Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop') Affecting kernel6.18-tools-devel package, versions <1:6.18.41-94.142.amzn2023


Severity

Recommended
high

Based on Amazon Linux security rating.

Threat Intelligence

EPSS
0.75% (53rd percentile)

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  • Snyk IDSNYK-AMZN2023-KERNEL618TOOLSDEVEL-19466326
  • published1 Sept 2026
  • disclosed15 Aug 2026

Introduced: 15 Aug 2026

NewCVE-2026-72194  (opens in a new tab)
CWE-835  (opens in a new tab)

How to fix?

Upgrade Amazon-Linux:2023 kernel6.18-tools-devel to version 1:6.18.41-94.142.amzn2023 or higher.
This issue was patched in ALAS2023-2026-2071.

NVD Description

Note: Versions mentioned in the description apply only to the upstream kernel6.18-tools-devel package and not the kernel6.18-tools-devel package as distributed by Amazon-Linux. See How to fix? for Amazon-Linux:2023 relevant fixed versions and status.

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

fs/ntfs3: add depth limit to indx_find_buffer to prevent stack overflow

indx_find_buffer() recursively descends the B+ tree index with no depth limit. A crafted NTFS image with circular index node references causes unbounded recursion, overflowing the kernel stack and panicking the system.

This is reachable by mounting a malicious NTFS filesystem (e.g. from a USB drive via desktop automount) and deleting a file whose index entry triggers the rebalancing fallback path in indx_delete_entry().

Add a depth parameter and bail out with -EINVAL when it reaches the fnd->nodes array bound, matching the constraint already enforced by fnd_push() in indx_find().

The related function indx_find() was previously patched for a similar infinite-loop issue (commit 1732053c8a6b), but indx_find_buffer() was missed.

CVSS Base Scores

version 3.1