HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2016-6254
CRITICAL

CVE-2016-6254

CWE-119Published: August 19, 2016· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.1
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

Heap-based buffer overflow in the parse_packet function in network.c in collectd before 5.4.3 and 5.x before 5.5.2 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (daemon crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a crafted network packet.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2016-6254 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 full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.1.

From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-119): Buffer overflow vulnerabilities can lead to arbitrary code execution or denial of service by corrupting adjacent memory.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

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

Affected Vendors & Products

collectd1 product(s)
collectd
Debian1 product(s)
debian linux
Fedora1 product(s)
fedora
Source: NVD CPE · 4 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

PATCHhttps://github.com/collectd/collectd/commit/b589096f907052b3a4da2b9ccc9b0e2e888dfc18
PATCHhttps://github.com/collectd/collectd/commit/b589096f907052b3a4da2b9ccc9b0e2e888dfc18
ADVISORYhttp://collectd.org/news.shtml
ADVISORYhttp://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3636
ADVISORYhttp://collectd.org/news.shtml
ADVISORYhttp://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3636

All References (10)

→
http://collectd.org/news.shtmlRelease Notes · Vendor Advisory
→
http://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3636Third Party Advisory
→
https://github.com/collectd/collectd/commit/b589096f907052b3a4da2b9ccc9b0e2e888dfc18Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/CM4W5SJ4OTBGINGIN4NJLXCUZAZANO6J/
→
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/UIZ5UXDOB7BA5NGE2F2I2BL4K6763DHW/
→
http://collectd.org/news.shtmlRelease Notes · Vendor Advisory
→
http://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3636Third Party Advisory
→
https://github.com/collectd/collectd/commit/b589096f907052b3a4da2b9ccc9b0e2e888dfc18Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/CM4W5SJ4OTBGINGIN4NJLXCUZAZANO6J/
→
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/UIZ5UXDOB7BA5NGE2F2I2BL4K6763DHW/

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2016-6254
CVSS Score9.1 / 10
SeverityCRITICAL
WeaknessCWE-119
CISA KEVNo
Affected3 vendor(s)
PublishedAug 19, 2016

Related CVEs (CWE-119)

CVE-2011-1730
10.0
CVE-2011-1731
10.0
CVE-2011-1848
10.0
CVE-2011-1729
10.0
CVE-2011-1728
10.0
CVE-2011-1732
10.0

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2016-6254 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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