CVE-2016-6559
9.8 · CRITICALOverview
CVE-2016-6559 is a critical-severity vulnerability affecting freebsd freebsd. It was published on July 13, 2018 and has a CVSS 3.0 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL).
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.0 base score of 9.8, rated CRITICAL. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.
Technical Description
Improper bounds checking of the obuf variable in the link_ntoa() function in linkaddr.c of the BSD libc library may allow an attacker to read or write from memory. The full impact and severity depends on the method of exploit and how the library is used by applications. According to analysis by FreeBSD developers, it is very unlikely that applications exist that utilize link_ntoa() in an exploitable manner, and the CERT/CC is not aware of any proof of concept. A blog post describes the functionality of link_ntoa() and points out that none of the base utilities use this function in an exploitable manner. For more information, please see FreeBSD Security Advisory SA-16:37.
Remediation
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from freebsd. Update freebsd to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
Affected Products
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References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2016-6559?
CVE-2016-6559 is a critical-severity vulnerability affecting freebsd freebsd. It was published on July 13, 2018 and has a CVSS 3.0 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL).
How severe is CVE-2016-6559?
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.0 base score of 9.8, rated CRITICAL. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.
How do I fix or remediate CVE-2016-6559?
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from freebsd. Update freebsd to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2016-6559?
CyberStrike's AI-powered security agents can automatically detect CVE-2016-6559 across your infrastructure using autonomous pentesting, DAST scanning, and HackBrowser. The platform continuously monitors for known vulnerabilities and provides actionable remediation guidance prioritized by real-world exploitability.
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