How severe is CVE-2016-1888?

CVE-2016-1888 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity high, and availability none.

Is CVE-2016-1888 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (77th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-1888?

CVE-2016-1888 primarily affects Freebsd. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-1888?

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-2016-1888 published?

CVE-2016-1888 was published on 2017-02-15 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-1888

CVE-2016-1888 is a high-severity vulnerability in Freebsd with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. 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-287.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (77th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-287
Affected product: Freebsd
Published: 2017-02-15
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The telnetd service in FreeBSD 9.3, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, and 11.0 allows remote attackers to inject arguments to login and bypass authentication via vectors involving a "sequence of memory allocation failures."

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-1888?: The telnetd service in FreeBSD 9.3, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, and 11.0 allows remote attackers to inject arguments to login and bypass authentication via vectors involving a "sequence of memory allocation failures."
How severe is CVE-2016-1888?: CVE-2016-1888 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity high, and availability none.
Is CVE-2016-1888 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (77th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-1888?: CVE-2016-1888 primarily affects Freebsd. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-1888?: 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-2016-1888 published?: CVE-2016-1888 was published on 2017-02-15 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (5)

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:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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