Description
Jann Horn of Google Project Zero discovered that NTFS-3G, a read-write NTFS driver for FUSE, does not scrub the environment before executing modprobe with elevated privileges. A local user can take advantage of this flaw for local root privilege escalation.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| ntfs-3g | ntfs-3g | — | — |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | ntfs-3g | 1:2016.2.22AR.1-4 | — |
| Debian 13 | ntfs-3g | 1:2016.2.22AR.1-4 | — |
| Debian 12 | ntfs-3g | 1:2016.2.22AR.1-4 | — |
| Debian 8 | ntfs-3g | 1:2014.2.15AR.2-1+deb8u3 | DSA-3780-1 |
| Debian 7 | ntfs-3g | 1:2012.1.15AR.5-2.1+deb7u3 | DLA-815-1 |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | ntfs-3g | 1:2015.3.14AR.1-1ubuntu0.1 | USN-3182-1 |
SUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES 12 SP5 | ntfs-3g_ntfsprogs | 2021.8.22-5.9.1 | SUSE-SU-2021:2965-1 |
| SLES 12 SP4 | ntfs-3g_ntfsprogs | 2013.1.13-5.3.1 | SUSE-SU-2018:3587-2 |
| SLES 12 SP3 | ntfs-3g_ntfsprogs | 2013.1.13-5.3.1 | SUSE-SU-2018:3587-1 |
| SLES 11 SP4 | ntfs-3g | 2011.4.12-0.9.3.1 | SUSE-SU-2018:2070-1 |
Public exploits
Exploit or proof-of-concept code for this vulnerability is publicly available, which lowers the bar for attackers. Treat it as a reason to patch sooner.
Third-party code, not reviewed by us. Public PoCs are sometimes fake or contain malware. Read the code first and run it only in an isolated lab, against systems you are authorised to test.
Metasploit 1 module
-
Debian/Ubuntu ntfs-3g Local Privilege Escalation
exploit/linux/local/ntfs3g_priv_esc
Exploit-DB 2
- ntfs-3g - Unsanitized modprobe Environment Privilege Escalation EDB-41356 · local · Feb 14, 2017 · verified
- ntfs-3g (Debian 9) - Local Privilege Escalation EDB-41240 · local · Feb 3, 2017
GitHub 1 repository
-
Wangsafz/cve-2017-0358.sh ★ 0 · Apr 12, 2022
Sources: PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit Framework, Exploit-DB — updated daily. Only links are listed; no exploit code is hosted here.
Advisories 7
- USN-3182-1 ntfs-3g vulnerability Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Apr 22, 2026
- DLA-815-1 ntfs-3g - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- DSA-3780-1 ntfs-3g - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2018:2070-1 Security update for ntfs-3g SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2018:3587-2 Security update for ntfs-3g_ntfsprogs SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2018:3587-1 Security update for ntfs-3g_ntfsprogs SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2021:2965-1 Security update for ntfs-3g_ntfsprogs SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
References
- GLSA-201702-10 vendor-advisory
- DSA-3780 vendor-advisory
- 41240 exploit
- 41356 exploit
- 95987 vdb-entry
- [oss-security] 20170201 CVE-2017-0358 ntfs-3g: modprobe influence vulnerability via environment variables mailing-list
- [oss-security] 20170203 Re: CVE-2017-0358 ntfs-3g: modprobe influence vulnerability via environment variables mailing-list