How severe is CVE-2016-1601?

CVE-2016-1601 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2016-1601 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (82nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-1601?

CVE-2016-1601 affects Suse Yast2. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-1601?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2016-1601 published?

CVE-2016-1601 was published on 2016-04-26 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-1601

CVE-2016-1601 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Suse Yast2 with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-255.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 10.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (82nd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-255
Affected product: Suse Yast2
Published: 2016-04-26
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

yast2-users before 3.1.47, as used in SUSE Linux Enterprise 12 SP1, does not properly set empty password fields in /etc/shadow during an AutoYaST installation when the profile does not contain inst-sys users, which might allow attackers to have unspecified impact via unknown vectors.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-1601?: yast2-users before 3.1.47, as used in SUSE Linux Enterprise 12 SP1, does not properly set empty password fields in /etc/shadow during an AutoYaST installation when the profile does not contain inst-sys users, which might allow attackers to have unspecified impact via unknown vectors.
How severe is CVE-2016-1601?: CVE-2016-1601 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2016-1601 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (82nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-1601?: CVE-2016-1601 affects Suse Yast2. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-1601?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2016-1601 published?: CVE-2016-1601 was published on 2016-04-26 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:o:suse:yast2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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