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CVE-2016-7916

5.5 · MEDIUM

Race condition in the environ_read function in fs/proc/base.c in the Linux kernel before 4.5.4 allows local users to obtain sensitive information from kernel memory by reading a /proc/*/environ fil…

Published Nov 16, 2016CWE-362EPSS 0.39%

Overview

CVE-2016-7916 is a medium-severity vulnerability. It was published on November 16, 2016 and has a CVSS 3.0 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.0 base score of 5.5, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.

Technical description

Race condition in the environ_read function in fs/proc/base.c in the Linux kernel before 4.5.4 allows local users to obtain sensitive information from kernel memory by reading a /proc/*/environ file during a process-setup time interval in which environment-variable copying is incomplete.

Remediation

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. 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.

References

Refgit.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=8148a73c9901a8794a50f950083c00ccf97d43b3Refsource.android.com/security/bulletin/2016-11-01.htmlRefwww.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v4.x/ChangeLog-4.5.4Refwww.securityfocus.com/bid/94138Refwww.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3159-1Refwww.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3159-2Refbugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=116461Refforums.grsecurity.net/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4363GitHubgithub.com/torvalds/linux/commit/8148a73c9901a8794a50f950083c00ccf97d43b3Refgit.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=8148a73c9901a8794a50f950083c00ccf97d43b3

How CyberStrike helps

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-7916?

CVE-2016-7916 is a medium-severity vulnerability. It was published on November 16, 2016 and has a CVSS 3.0 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2016-7916?

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.0 base score of 5.5, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.

How do I fix or remediate CVE-2016-7916?

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. 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-2016-7916?

CyberStrike is an open-source, AI-augmented pentesting engine. Rather than flag a version number, it tests whether an issue like CVE-2016-7916 is actually reachable in your own applications and APIs, then verifies each finding before reporting it. That tells you if the weakness is a real, exploitable risk in your environment or a false positive you can safely deprioritize.

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