HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2016-3116
MEDIUMPOC

CVE-2016-3116

NVD-CWE-OtherPublished: March 22, 2016· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

6.4
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

CRLF injection vulnerability in Dropbear SSH before 2016.72 allows remote authenticated users to bypass intended shell-command restrictions via crafted X11 forwarding data.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2016-3116 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

Exploitation requires low privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.

The vulnerability has a "Changed" scope, meaning successful exploitation can impact components beyond the vulnerable component itself — such as the host operating system or adjacent services.

A proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit exists for CVE-2016-3116. While not yet confirmed in active campaigns, the availability of PoC code increases exploitation risk substantially.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.Low
User InteractionNone
ScopeChanged
Impact
ConfidentialityLow
IntegrityLow
AvailabilityNone
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

Affected Vendors & Products

dropbear ssh
Source: NVD CPE · 1 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

POC AVAILABLEProof-of-concept code exists
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

All References (20)

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2016-3116
CVSS Score6.4 / 10
SeverityMEDIUM
CISA KEVNo
ExploitPOC
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedMar 22, 2016

Related CVEs (NVD-CWE-Other)

Recommended Actions

  • Apply vendor patches immediately
  • Monitor CVE-2016-3116 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. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.