How severe is CVE-2016-1886?

CVE-2016-1886 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2016-1886 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (63rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-1886?

CVE-2016-1886 primarily affects Freebsd. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-1886?

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

When was CVE-2016-1886 published?

CVE-2016-1886 was published on 2016-05-25 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-1886

CVE-2016-1886 is a high-severity vulnerability in Freebsd with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. 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-119.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 7.2
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (63rd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-119
Affected product: Freebsd
Published: 2016-05-25
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Integer signedness error in the genkbd_commonioctl function in sys/dev/kbd/kbd.c in FreeBSD 9.3 before p42, 10.1 before p34, 10.2 before p17, and 10.3 before p3 allows local users to obtain sensitive information from kernel memory, cause a denial of service (memory overwrite and kernel crash), or gain privileges via a negative value in the flen structure member in the arg argument in a SETFKEY ioctl call, which triggers a "two way heap and stack overflow."

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-1886?: Integer signedness error in the genkbd_commonioctl function in sys/dev/kbd/kbd.c in FreeBSD 9.3 before p42, 10.1 before p34, 10.2 before p17, and 10.3 before p3 allows local users to obtain sensitive information from kernel memory, cause a denial of service (memory overwrite and kernel crash), or gain privileges via a negative value in the flen structure member in the arg argument in a SETFKEY ioctl call, which triggers a "two way heap and stack overflow."
How severe is CVE-2016-1886?: CVE-2016-1886 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2016-1886 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (63rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-1886?: CVE-2016-1886 primarily affects Freebsd. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-1886?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2016-1886 published?: CVE-2016-1886 was published on 2016-05-25 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (4)

cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:9.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:10.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:10.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:10.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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