CVE-2016-4476

Name: CVE-2016-4476
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2016-05-09T10:59:41.813+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

HIGHCVSS 7.5/10EPSS 2.86%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2016-4476 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 7.5/10 on the CVSS scale. hostapd 0.6.7 through 2.5 and wpa_supplicant 0.6.7 through 2.5 do not reject \n and \r characters in passphrase parameters, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (daemon outage) via a crafted WPS operation.. EPSS estimates a 2.86% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

hostapd 0.6.7 through 2.5 and wpa_supplicant 0.6.7 through 2.5 do not reject \n and \r characters in passphrase parameters, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (daemon outage) via a crafted WPS operation.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.5/10

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

EPSS Probability

2.86%

84.9th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-20

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
W1.Fi	Hostapd	>= 0.6.7, <= 2.5
W1.Fi	Wpa Supplicant	>= 0.6.7, <= 2.5
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	14.04
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	16.04
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	17.04

References

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/05/03/12Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3455-1Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/05/03/12Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3455-1Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: May 9, 2016
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2016-4476?

How severe is CVE-2016-4476?

CVE-2016-4476 has a CVSS score of 7.5/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 2.86% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2016-4476?

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-2016-4476?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST