Linux CVE-2025-71267

The vulnerability resides in the ntfs3 file system implementation within the Linux kernel (cpe:2.3:a:linux:linux). Specifically, the ntfs_load_attr_list() function fails to validate that the data_size field of an ATTR_LIST attribute is non-zero before allocating memory via the al_aligned() macro. The ATTR_LIST is a critical NTFS metadata structure used to enumerate file attributes across multiple MFT (Master File Table) records. When data_size is zero, the function still allocates memory due to alignment calculations, creating an inconsistent internal state where ni->attr_list.size equals zero but ni->attr_list.le is non-null. This inconsistency causes the ni_enum_attr_ex() enumeration function to incorrectly conclude that no attribute list exists, leading it to enumerate only the primary MFT record. Upon discovering the ATTR_LIST during enumeration, the code reloads it and restarts the process, creating an infinite loop. The root cause is a failure to implement proper input validation before memory allocation, falling under CWE-835 (Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition) and related validation weaknesses.