Evidence used
- No CISA KEV confirmation is currently recorded.
- Exploitation requires an existing local or physical foothold with privileges.
- EPSS is 0.30% for the current model date.
BlackTreeCVE IntelligenceFull vulnerability report · 2016
CVE-2016-6450High confidence
A vulnerability in the package unbundle utility of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to gain write access to some files in the underlying operating system
Unknown · Cisco IOS XE 3.7(0) through Denali-16.3.1
Official source article: Cisco CISCO-SA-20161115-IOSXE ↗. Check the applicable product and release in the original source.
2.5LowCVSS 3.0
Scheduled
Fix not verifiedLow technical severity with no CISA KEV confirmation; remediate through the normal risk-based patch cycle unless local exposure raises the priority.
R
Open reassessment dashboard →Operational reassessment
Published severity in operational context
Published severityLow→Operational priority:Low, unchanged from published severity.unchanged
Compensating controls
- Restrict local access and enforce least privilege on affected hosts.
- Monitor vendor guidance and exploitation sources for a material change.
Verification
- Confirm that the asset runs Unknown Cisco IOS XE 3.7(0) through Denali-16.3.1 and falls inside the recorded affected range.
- Recheck the vendor advisory before scheduling a change because no verified fixed version is currently retained.
- Validate exposure, authentication requirements and compensating controls in the actual environment.
- Reopen this reassessment when CVSS, KEV, EPSS, exploit evidence or remediation changes.
Low technical severity with no CISA KEV confirmation; remediate through the normal risk-based patch cycle unless local exposure raises the priority.
Fix not verified01
What, why and how
A vulnerability in the package unbundle utility of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to gain write access to some files in the underlying operating system. This vulnerability affects the following products if they are running a vulnerable release of Cisco IOS XE Software: Cisco 5700 Series Wireless LAN Controllers, Cisco Catalyst 3650 Series Switches, Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series Switches, Cisco Catalyst 4500E Series Switches, Cisco Catalyst 4500X Series Switches. More Information: CSCva60013 CSCvb22622. Known Affected Releases: 3.7(0) 16.4.1 Denali-16.1.3 Denali-16.2.2 Denali-16.3.1. Known Fixed Releases: 15.2(4)E3 16.1(2.208) 16.2(2.42) 16.3(1.22) 16.4(0.190) 16.5(0.29).
What
A vulnerability in the package unbundle utility of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to gain write access to some files in the underlying operating system. This vulnerability affects the following products if they are running a vulnerable release of Cisco IOS XE Software: Cisco 5700 Series Wireless LAN Controllers, Cisco Catalyst 3650 Series Switches, Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series Switches, Cisco Catalyst 4500E Series Switches, Cisco Catalyst 4500X Series Switches. More Information: CSCva60013 CSCvb22622. Known Affected Releases: 3.7(0) 16.4.1 Denali-16.1.3 Denali-16.2.2 Denali-16.3.1. Known Fixed Releases: 15.2(4)E3 16.1(2.208) 16.2(2.42) 16.3(1.22) 16.4(0.190) 16.5(0.29).
Why
The product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly.
How
An attacker operating through local access may attempt exploitation with low privileges. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.
What
A vulnerability in the package unbundle utility of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to gain write access to some files in the underlying operating system. This vulnerability affects the following products if they are running a vulnerable release of Cisco IOS XE Software: Cisco 5700 Series Wireless LAN Controllers, Cisco Catalyst 3650 Series Switches, Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series Switches, Cisco Catalyst 4500E Series Switches, Cisco Catalyst 4500X Series Switches. More Information: CSCva60013 CSCvb22622. Known Affected Releases: 3.7(0) 16.4.1 Denali-16.1.3 Denali-16.2.2 Denali-16.3.1. Known Fixed Releases: 15.2(4)E3 16.1(2.208) 16.2(2.42) 16.3(1.22) 16.4(0.190) 16.5(0.29).
Why
The product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly.
How
An attacker operating through local access may attempt exploitation with low privileges. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.
02
Exploit reality and attack path
CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.
Observed exploitation No confirmed evidence
?
Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.No CISA KEV match was present at the last successful refresh. This means no confirmation from that source, not proof of no exploitation.
Public PoC / exploit material None recorded
?
Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.No exploit-tagged reference or CISA SSVC proof-of-concept state is currently recorded. Research may still exist outside the structured feeds.
- Likely attack path
- local access → Improper Input Validation → cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor
- Attack surface
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low: a basic authenticated account is required
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- High: exploitation depends on specific conditions
- Security boundary
- Unchanged: impact remains within the vulnerable component's security authority
- Weakness
?
CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness. - CWE-20 ↗
CWE-20: Improper Input Validation. The product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly.
- CVSS vector
?
CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity. CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:NCommon Vulnerability Scoring System 3.0: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.
AVLocalAttack vector: The attacker needs local access to the vulnerable system.ACHighAttack complexity: Successful exploitation depends on specific conditions outside the attacker's direct control.PRLowPrivileges required: The attacker needs basic user-level privileges.UINoneUser interaction: No action by another user is required.SUnchangedScope: The security impact remains within the vulnerable component's authority.CNoneConfidentiality impact: No direct loss is represented by this metric.ILowIntegrity impact: A successful attack can cause a limited loss.ANoneAvailability impact: No direct loss is represented by this metric.- Post-exploitation / living off the land
- The issue can support a local privilege or sandbox boundary transition; normal system utilities may then be available in the gained context.
03
Patch and workaround
Operational remediation based on structured source evidence.
- Status
?
Patch availability is based on structured fixed-version fields and authoritative update references. If no fix is verified, check the vendor advisory before making a change. - Fix not verified
- Affected
- Cisco IOS XE 3.7(0) through Denali-16.3.1: Cisco IOS XE 3.7(0) through Denali-16.3.1
- Fixed
- No fixed version is explicitly recorded in the structured CVE data.
- Action
- No verified patch reference is present in the current structured sources. Check the vendor advisory before making a change.
- Workaround
- No verified workaround is recorded. Limit untrusted access and use least privilege until authoritative guidance is available.
04
Evidence and provenance
Published 19 Nov 2016 · Last source change 6 Aug 2024, 01:29 UTC · CWE-20 · Improper Input Validation
CVE recordCVE.org · 5.1
CVSS sourceNIST NVD
EPSS source FIRST · tracked since 2026-09-01
?
The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2016-7373
Product sourceCNA
Remediation sourceCVE/CNA references
CWE sourceNIST NVD
NVD statusNVD modified after enrichment
Missing structured fields: affected product. Missing data is not evidence of low risk; review the primary advisory.
Material change intelligence
View recent updates ↗What changed after publication
- ENISA EUVD mappingEUVD-2016-7373 was added to the official ENISA EUVD mapping for this CVE.ENISA EUVD ↗
- Before
- not recorded
- After
- {"euvdId":"EUVD-2016-7373"}
- Vendor guidanceAuthoritative vendor guidance changed: added vendor advisory: tools.cisco.com/cisco-sa-20161115-iosxe.tools.cisco.com ↗
- Before
- no authoritative guidance recorded
- After
- vendor advisory: tools.cisco.com/cisco-sa-20161115-iosxe
- SeveritySeverity changed from Unknown to Low.NIST NVD ↗
- Before
- Unknown
- After
- Low
- CVSS scoreCVSS score changed from not recorded to 2.5 (CVSS 3.0 · NIST NVD · CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N).NIST NVD ↗
- Before
- not recorded
- After
- 2.5 (CVSS 3.0 · NIST NVD · CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N)
- Catalogue recordCVE added to the BlackTree catalogue.CNA ↗
Technical terms and abbreviations used in this report
- CVE
- Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures: the public identifier for one disclosed vulnerability.
- CVSS
- Common Vulnerability Scoring System: a technical severity framework; it is not patching priority by itself.
- EPSS
- Exploit Prediction Scoring System: FIRST's estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days; it is a forecast, not confirmation.
- CWE
- Common Weakness Enumeration: the standard category describing the underlying software or hardware weakness.
- CNA
- CVE Numbering Authority: an organisation authorised to assign and publish CVE records.
- CISA ADP
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Authorized Data Publisher: structured enrichment added to a CVE record.
- NVD
- National Vulnerability Database: NIST's enrichment service for CVE records.
- CERT / CSIRT
- A computer security incident response team that publishes warnings or coordinates incident response.
- PoC
- Proof of concept: public material that demonstrates or helps reproduce exploitation.
- CSAF
- Common Security Advisory Framework: a machine-readable format for security advisories.
- LoTL
- Living off the land: abuse of legitimate tools or system functions during an attack.