HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2016-3952
HIGH

CVE-2016-3952

CWE-255Published: February 6, 2018· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

7.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

web2py before 2.14.1, when using the standalone version, allows remote attackers to obtain environment variable values via a direct request to examples/template_examples/beautify. NOTE: this issue can be leveraged by remote attackers to gain administrative access.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2016-3952 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.

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

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 7.8.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorLocal
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.Low
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

web2py1 product(s)
web2py
Source: NVD CPE · 1 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

ADVISORYhttps://devco.re/blog/2017/01/03/web2py-unserialize-code-execution-CVE-2016-3957/
ADVISORYhttps://github.com/web2py/web2py/commit/9706d125b42481178d2b423de245f5d2faadbf40
ADVISORYhttps://devco.re/blog/2017/01/03/web2py-unserialize-code-execution-CVE-2016-3957/
ADVISORYhttps://github.com/web2py/web2py/commit/9706d125b42481178d2b423de245f5d2faadbf40

All References (6)

→
https://devco.re/blog/2017/01/03/web2py-unserialize-code-execution-CVE-2016-3957/Exploit · Technical Description · Third Party Advisory
→
https://github.com/web2py/web2py/commit/9706d125b42481178d2b423de245f5d2faadbf40Third Party Advisory
→
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4030-1/
→
https://devco.re/blog/2017/01/03/web2py-unserialize-code-execution-CVE-2016-3957/Exploit · Technical Description · Third Party Advisory
→
https://github.com/web2py/web2py/commit/9706d125b42481178d2b423de245f5d2faadbf40Third Party Advisory
→
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4030-1/

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2016-3952
CVSS Score7.8 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessCWE-255
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedFeb 6, 2018

Related CVEs (CWE-255)

CVE-2009-3710
10.0
CVE-2011-0354
10.0
CVE-2014-1849
10.0
CVE-2014-0683
10.0
CVE-2011-0885
10.0
CVE-2013-5755
10.0

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2016-3952 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.
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