CVE-2025-38707 – A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's NTFS3 fil... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2025-38707?

CVE-2025-38707 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH). A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's NTFS3 filesystem driver allows local attackers to cause a kernel panic or potentially execute arbitrary code by providing a specially crafted filename that exceeds directory entry size limits. This affects systems using the NTFS3 driver to mount NTFS partitions, primarily Linux servers and workstations with NTFS storage.

📋 TL;DR

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's NTFS3 filesystem driver allows local attackers to cause a kernel panic or potentially execute arbitrary code by providing a specially crafted filename that exceeds directory entry size limits. This affects systems using the NTFS3 driver to mount NTFS partitions, primarily Linux servers and workstations with NTFS storage.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel with NTFS3 driver

Versions: Linux kernel versions with NTFS3 driver before fixes in stable trees (specific versions vary by distribution)

Operating Systems: Linux distributions with NTFS3 support

Default Config Vulnerable: ✅ No

Notes: Only vulnerable when NTFS3 driver is loaded and NTFS partitions are mounted. Many systems use older NTFS drivers by default.

📦 What is this software?

Debian Linux by Debian

View all CVEs affecting Debian Linux →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

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Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Local privilege escalation to kernel-level code execution, leading to complete system compromise.

🟠

Likely Case

Kernel panic causing denial of service (system crash) when accessing malicious NTFS filesystems.

🟢

If Mitigated

No impact if NTFS3 driver is not loaded or NTFS partitions are not mounted.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires local access to mount or access NTFS filesystems.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Local users or compromised accounts could exploit this to crash systems or potentially escalate privileges.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Requires local access to mount or access NTFS filesystems. No public exploits known at this time.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Linux kernel stable releases with commit 27ee9a42b245efe6529e28b03453291a775cb3e4 and related fixes

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/27ee9a42b245efe6529e28b03453291a775cb3e4

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from your distribution. 2. For custom kernels, apply patches from stable kernel tree. 3. Reboot system to load new kernel.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable NTFS3 driver

linux

Prevent loading of the vulnerable NTFS3 driver module

echo 'blacklist ntfs3' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-ntfs3.conf
rmmod ntfs3

Use alternative NTFS driver

linux

Use NTFS-3G userspace driver instead of kernel NTFS3 driver

apt-get install ntfs-3g
mount -t ntfs-3g /dev/sdX /mnt/ntfs

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict local user access to systems with NTFS mounts
Monitor for unexpected system crashes or kernel panics

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check if NTFS3 module is loaded: lsmod | grep ntfs3

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Check kernel version after update: uname -r and verify it includes the fix commits

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel panic messages in /var/log/kern.log or dmesg
Unexpected system crashes

Network Indicators:

None - local vulnerability only

SIEM Query:

source="kern.log" AND "kernel panic" OR "BUG:" OR "Oops:"

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2025-38707

CVSS v3 Score: 7.8 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Score: 0.02% exploit probability (2.7th percentile)

Published: September 4, 2025

Last Updated: January 9, 2026

🔗 References

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