How severe is CVE-2016-4476?

CVE-2016-4476 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 none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2016-4476 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (85th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-4476?

CVE-2016-4476 primarily affects W1.fi Hostapd. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-4476?

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-2016-4476 published?

CVE-2016-4476 was published on 2016-05-09 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-4476

CVE-2016-4476 is a high-severity vulnerability in W1.fi Hostapd 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-20.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 3% (85th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
Affected product: W1.fi Hostapd
Published: 2016-05-09
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

hostapd 0.6.7 through 2.5 and wpa_supplicant 0.6.7 through 2.5 do not reject \n and \r characters in passphrase parameters, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (daemon outage) via a crafted WPS operation.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-4476?: hostapd 0.6.7 through 2.5 and wpa_supplicant 0.6.7 through 2.5 do not reject \n and \r characters in passphrase parameters, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (daemon outage) via a crafted WPS operation.
How severe is CVE-2016-4476?: CVE-2016-4476 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 none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2016-4476 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (85th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-4476?: CVE-2016-4476 primarily affects W1.fi Hostapd. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-4476?: 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-2016-4476 published?: CVE-2016-4476 was published on 2016-05-09 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (5)

cpe:2.3:a:w1.fi:hostapd:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:w1.fi:wpa_supplicant:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:*:*:*:esm:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:17.04:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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