HIGH
CVE-2016-7408
CWE-284Published: March 3, 2017· Updated: Jun 17, 2026
8.8
CVSS v3.1
Official Description
The dbclient in Dropbear SSH before 2016.74 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted (1) -m or (2) -c argument.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2016-7408 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.
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 8.8.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.Low
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Affected Vendors & Products
dropbear_ssh_project1 product(s)
dropbear ssh
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
All References (10)
→
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/09/15/2Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/92970Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1376353Issue Tracking
→
https://secure.ucc.asn.au/hg/dropbear/rev/eed9376a4ad6Issue Tracking · Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201702-23Patch · Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/09/15/2Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/92970Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1376353Issue Tracking
→
https://secure.ucc.asn.au/hg/dropbear/rev/eed9376a4ad6Issue Tracking · Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201702-23Patch · Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
Quick Facts
CVE IDCVE-2016-7408
CVSS Score8.8 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessCWE-284
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedMar 3, 2017
Related CVEs (CWE-284)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2016-7408 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.