System hang via unconditional inode locking
Published Sep 7, 2025 · Updated May 23, 2026
Deadlock in the Linux kernel NTFS3 subsystem allows local users to hang affected systems through file mapping on a mounted NTFS volume. The ntfs_file_mmap_prepare path unconditionally acquires the inode lock while holding mmap_lock, creating a circular dependency with direct I/O that takes the locks in reverse order. Reachability requires local access to an NTFS3-mounted filesystem; the resulting circular wait interrupts availability without reported data exposure or modification.
Summary
What happened
Deadlock in the Linux kernel NTFS3 subsystem allows local users to hang affected systems through file mapping on a mounted NTFS volume. The ntfs_file_mmap_prepare path unconditionally acquires the inode lock while holding mmap_lock, creating a circular dependency with direct I/O that takes the locks in reverse order. Reachability requires local access to an NTFS3-mounted filesystem; the resulting circular wait interrupts availability without reported data exposure or modification.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-39734
- Published
- Sep 7, 2025
- Updated
- May 23, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 7, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 23, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=5.15.165 <5.15.190
- Affected versionversion=53173e3865acb06f3e86c703696510c12fecc612 <a936be9b5f51c4d23f66fb673e9068c6b08104a4
- Affected versionversion=6.10.3 <6.11
- Affected versionversion=6.11
- Affected versionversion=6.1.103 <6.1.148
- Affected versionversion=6.6.44 <6.6.102
- Affected versionversion=69505fe98f198ee813898cbcaf6770949636430b <7ce6f83ca9d52c9245b7a017466fc4baa1241b0b
- Affected versionversion=69505fe98f198ee813898cbcaf6770949636430b <a49f0abd8959048af18c6c690b065eb0d65b2d21
- Affected versionversion=69505fe98f198ee813898cbcaf6770949636430b <b356ee013a79e7e3147bfe065de376706c5d2ee9
- Affected versionversion=69505fe98f198ee813898cbcaf6770949636430b <bd20733746263acaaf2a21881665db27ee4303d5
- Affected versionversion=7a498fc945080bccc25fdc36f1d663798441158b <1903a6c1f2818154f6bc87bceaaecafa92b6ac5c
- Affected versionversion=d5ad80aabd5a76a5de52b7663b1f3223dd01ea38
- Affected versionversion=e3e3b3eb54feaf6400800812c8d0f95a7213923d <bec8109f957a6e193e52d1728799994c8005ca83
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- syzbot C reproducer for the NTFS3 deadlockproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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