CVE-2016-5388

CVE-2016-5388 is a high-severity vulnerability in Redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.1. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 51% places it in the 99th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-284.

Key facts

Description

Apache Tomcat 7.x through 7.0.70 and 8.x through 8.5.4, when the CGI Servlet is enabled, follows RFC 3875 section 4.1.18 and therefore does not protect applications from the presence of untrusted client data in the HTTP_PROXY environment variable, which might allow remote attackers to redirect an application's outbound HTTP traffic to an arbitrary proxy server via a crafted Proxy header in an HTTP request, aka an "httpoxy" issue. NOTE: the vendor states "A mitigation is planned for future releases of Tomcat, tracked as CVE-2016-5388"; in other words, this is not a CVE ID for a vulnerability.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-5388?
Apache Tomcat 7.x through 7.0.70 and 8.x through 8.5.4, when the CGI Servlet is enabled, follows RFC 3875 section 4.1.18 and therefore does not protect applications from the presence of untrusted client data in the HTTP_PROXY environment variable, which might allow remote attackers to redirect an application's outbound HTTP traffic to an arbitrary proxy server via a crafted Proxy header in an HTTP request, aka an "httpoxy" issue. NOTE: the vendor states "A mitigation is planned for future releases of Tomcat, tracked as CVE-2016-5388"; in other words, this is not a CVE ID for a vulnerability.
How severe is CVE-2016-5388?
CVE-2016-5388 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2016-5388 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 51% (99th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-5388?
CVE-2016-5388 primarily affects Redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop. In total, 16 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-5388?
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-2016-5388 published?
CVE-2016-5388 was published on 2016-07-19 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (16)

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