CVE-2016-2785

Name: CVE-2016-2785
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2016-06-10T15:59:00.14+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

CRITICALCVSS 9.8/10EPSS 2.89%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2016-2785 is a critical-severity vulnerability rated 9.8/10 on the CVSS scale. Puppet Server before 2.3.2 and Ruby puppetmaster in Puppet 4.x before 4.4.2 and in Puppet Agent before 1.4.2 might allow remote attackers to bypass intended auth.conf access restrictions by leveraging incorrect URL decoding.. EPSS estimates a 2.89% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

Puppet Server before 2.3.2 and Ruby puppetmaster in Puppet 4.x before 4.4.2 and in Puppet Agent before 1.4.2 might allow remote attackers to bypass intended auth.conf access restrictions by leveraging incorrect URL decoding.

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

2.89%

85.1th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-284

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Puppet	Puppet	4.0.0
Puppet	Puppet	4.1.0
Puppet	Puppet	4.2.0
Puppet	Puppet	4.2.1
Puppet	Puppet	4.2.2
Puppet	Puppet	4.2.3
Puppet	Puppet	4.3.0
Puppet	Puppet	4.3.1
Puppet	Puppet	4.3.2
Puppet	Puppet	4.4.0
Puppet	Puppet	4.4.1
Puppet	Puppet Server	2.0.0
Puppet	Puppet Server	2.1.0
Puppet	Puppet Server	2.1.1
Puppet	Puppet Server	2.1.2
Puppet	Puppet Server	2.2.0
Puppet	Puppet Server	2.3.0
Puppet	Puppet Server	2.3.1
Puppet	Puppet Agent	1.4.1

References

https://github.com/puppetlabs/puppet/pull/4921/commits/8d2ce797db265720f0a20d1d46ee2757b4e4f6b2Vendor Advisory
https://puppet.com/security/cve/cve-2016-2785Vendor Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201606-02Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/puppetlabs/puppet/pull/4921/commits/8d2ce797db265720f0a20d1d46ee2757b4e4f6b2Vendor Advisory
https://puppet.com/security/cve/cve-2016-2785Vendor Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201606-02Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Jun 10, 2016
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2016-2785?

How severe is CVE-2016-2785?

CVE-2016-2785 has a CVSS score of 9.8/10 (CRITICAL severity). The EPSS model estimates a 2.89% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2016-2785?

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-2016-2785?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST