HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2016-2371
HIGH

CVE-2016-2371

CWE-787Published: January 6, 2017· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

8.1
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

An out-of-bounds write vulnerability exists in the handling of the MXIT protocol in Pidgin. Specially crafted MXIT data sent via the server could cause memory corruption resulting in code execution.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2016-2371 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 8.1.

From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-787): Out-of-bounds write vulnerabilities can lead to data corruption, crashes, or arbitrary code execution.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityHigh
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

Canonical1 product(s)
ubuntu linux
Debian1 product(s)
debian linux
pidgin1 product(s)
pidgin
Source: NVD CPE · 5 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
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Official Patches & Advisories

All References (12)

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2016-2371
CVSS Score8.1 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessCWE-787
CISA KEVNo
Affected3 vendor(s)
PublishedJan 6, 2017

Related CVEs (CWE-787)

Recommended Actions

  • Apply vendor patches immediately
  • Monitor CVE-2016-2371 in threat intel feeds
  • Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.