How severe is CVE-2016-5985?

CVE-2016-5985 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-2016-5985 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (35th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-5985?

CVE-2016-5985 primarily affects Ibm Tivoli Storage Manager. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-5985?

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-2016-5985 published?

CVE-2016-5985 was published on 2017-02-01 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-5985

CVE-2016-5985 is a high-severity vulnerability in Ibm Tivoli Storage Manager 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-119.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 7.2
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (35th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-119
Affected product: Ibm Tivoli Storage Manager
Published: 2017-02-01
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The IBM Tivoli Storage Manager (IBM Spectrum Protect) AIX client is vulnerable to a buffer overflow when Journal-Based Backup is enabled. A local attacker could overflow a buffer and execute arbitrary code on the system or cause a system crash.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-5985?: The IBM Tivoli Storage Manager (IBM Spectrum Protect) AIX client is vulnerable to a buffer overflow when Journal-Based Backup is enabled. A local attacker could overflow a buffer and execute arbitrary code on the system or cause a system crash.
How severe is CVE-2016-5985?: CVE-2016-5985 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-2016-5985 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (35th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-5985?: CVE-2016-5985 primarily affects Ibm Tivoli Storage Manager. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-5985?: 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-2016-5985 published?: CVE-2016-5985 was published on 2017-02-01 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (4)

cpe:2.3:a:ibm:tivoli_storage_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:tivoli_storage_manager:7.1.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:tivoli_storage_manager:6.4.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:tivoli_storage_manager:6.3.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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CVE-2008-4563 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Heap-based buffer overflow in adsmdll.dll 5.3.7.7296, as used by the daemon (dsmsvc.exe) in the backup server in IBM…
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