How severe is CVE-2016-5425?

CVE-2016-5425 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2016-5425 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (89th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-5425?

CVE-2016-5425 affects Apache Tomcat. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-5425?

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-2016-5425 published?

CVE-2016-5425 was published on 2016-10-13 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-5425

CVE-2016-5425 is a high-severity vulnerability in Apache Tomcat with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. 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-276.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 7.2
EPSS exploit prediction: 4% (89th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-276
Affected product: Apache Tomcat
Published: 2016-10-13
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The Tomcat package on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 7, Fedora, CentOS, Oracle Linux, and possibly other Linux distributions uses weak permissions for /usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/tomcat.conf, which allows local users to gain root privileges by leveraging membership in the tomcat group.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-5425?: The Tomcat package on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 7, Fedora, CentOS, Oracle Linux, and possibly other Linux distributions uses weak permissions for /usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/tomcat.conf, which allows local users to gain root privileges by leveraging membership in the tomcat group.
How severe is CVE-2016-5425?: CVE-2016-5425 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2016-5425 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (89th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-5425?: CVE-2016-5425 affects Apache Tomcat. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-5425?: 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-2016-5425 published?: CVE-2016-5425 was published on 2016-10-13 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:apache:tomcat:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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