How severe is CVE-2016-4085?

CVE-2016-4085 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.9, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2016-4085 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (86th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-4085?

CVE-2016-4085 primarily affects Wireshark. In total, 16 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-4085?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2016-4085 published?

CVE-2016-4085 was published on 2016-04-25 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-4085

CVE-2016-4085 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Wireshark with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.9. 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-20.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.9)
CVSS v2: 4.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 3% (86th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
Affected product: Wireshark
Published: 2016-04-25
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Stack-based buffer overflow in epan/dissectors/packet-ncp2222.inc in the NCP dissector in Wireshark 1.12.x before 1.12.11 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a long string in a packet.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-4085?: Stack-based buffer overflow in epan/dissectors/packet-ncp2222.inc in the NCP dissector in Wireshark 1.12.x before 1.12.11 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a long string in a packet.
How severe is CVE-2016-4085?: CVE-2016-4085 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.9, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2016-4085 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (86th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-4085?: CVE-2016-4085 primarily affects Wireshark. In total, 16 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-4085?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2016-4085 published?: CVE-2016-4085 was published on 2016-04-25 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (16)

cpe:2.3:o:oracle:solaris:11.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:wireshark:wireshark:1.12.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:wireshark:wireshark:1.12.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:wireshark:wireshark:1.12.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:wireshark:wireshark:1.12.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:wireshark:wireshark:1.12.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:wireshark:wireshark:1.12.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:wireshark:wireshark:1.12.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:wireshark:wireshark:1.12.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:wireshark:wireshark:1.12.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:wireshark:wireshark:1.12.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:wireshark:wireshark:1.12.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:wireshark:wireshark:2.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:wireshark:wireshark:2.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:wireshark:wireshark:2.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Wireshark

CVE-2011-0444 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Buffer overflow in the MAC-LTE dissector (epan/dissectors/packet-mac-lte.c) in Wireshark 1.2.0 through 1.2.13 and 1.4.0…
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CVE-2008-3146 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Multiple buffer overflows in packet_ncp2222.inc in Wireshark (formerly Ethereal) 0.9.7 through 1.0.2 allow attackers to…

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