CVE-2016-2090

Name: CVE-2016-2090
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2017-01-13T16:59:00.167+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

CRITICALCVSS 9.8/10EPSS 3.22%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2016-2090 is a critical-severity vulnerability rated 9.8/10 on the CVSS scale. Off-by-one vulnerability in the fgetwln function in libbsd before 0.8.2 allows attackers to have unspecified impact via unknown vectors, which trigger a heap-based buffer overflow.. EPSS estimates a 3.22% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

Off-by-one vulnerability in the fgetwln function in libbsd before 0.8.2 allows attackers to have unspecified impact via unknown vectors, which trigger a heap-based buffer overflow.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

9.8/10

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

EPSS Probability

3.22%

86.6th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-119

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Fedoraproject	Fedora	24
Fedoraproject	Fedora	25
Freedesktop	Libbsd	< 0.8.2
Debian	Debian Linux	8.0
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	12.04
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	14.04
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	16.04
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	18.04
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	19.04

References

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/01/28/5Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://blog.fuzzing-project.org/36-Heap-buffer-overflow-in-fgetwln-function-of-libbsd.htmlThird Party Advisory
https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=93881Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://cgit.freedesktop.org/libbsd/commit/?id=c8f0723d2b4520bdd6b9eb7c3e7976de726d7ff7Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/12/msg00036.htmlThird Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/7KJE5SPSX7HEKLZ34LUTZLXWPEL2K353/
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/DIQKQ42Z7553D46QY3IMIQKS52QTNIHY/
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201607-13Third Party Advisory
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4243-1/Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/01/28/5Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://blog.fuzzing-project.org/36-Heap-buffer-overflow-in-fgetwln-function-of-libbsd.htmlThird Party Advisory
https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=93881Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://cgit.freedesktop.org/libbsd/commit/?id=c8f0723d2b4520bdd6b9eb7c3e7976de726d7ff7Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/12/msg00036.htmlThird Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/7KJE5SPSX7HEKLZ34LUTZLXWPEL2K353/
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/DIQKQ42Z7553D46QY3IMIQKS52QTNIHY/
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201607-13Third Party Advisory
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4243-1/Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Jan 13, 2017
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2016-2090?

Off-by-one vulnerability in the fgetwln function in libbsd before 0.8.2 allows attackers to have unspecified impact via unknown vectors, which trigger a heap-based buffer overflow.

How severe is CVE-2016-2090?

CVE-2016-2090 has a CVSS score of 9.8/10 (CRITICAL severity). The EPSS model estimates a 3.22% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2016-2090?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2016-2090?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST