How severe is CVE-2016-5003?

CVE-2016-5003 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-2016-5003 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 15% (96th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-5003?

CVE-2016-5003 affects Apache Ws-xmlrpc. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-5003?

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-2016-5003 published?

CVE-2016-5003 was published on 2017-10-27 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-5003

CVE-2016-5003 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Apache Ws-xmlrpc with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 15% places it in the 96th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-502.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 7.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 15% (96th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-502
Affected product: Apache Ws-xmlrpc
Published: 2017-10-27
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The Apache XML-RPC (aka ws-xmlrpc) library 3.1.3, as used in Apache Archiva, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted serialized Java object in an <ex:serializable> element.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-5003?: The Apache XML-RPC (aka ws-xmlrpc) library 3.1.3, as used in Apache Archiva, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted serialized Java object in an <ex:serializable> element.
How severe is CVE-2016-5003?: CVE-2016-5003 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-2016-5003 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 15% (96th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-5003?: CVE-2016-5003 affects Apache Ws-xmlrpc. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-5003?: 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-2016-5003 published?: CVE-2016-5003 was published on 2017-10-27 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:apache:ws-xmlrpc:3.1.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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