How severe is CVE-2016-6242?

CVE-2016-6242 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2016-6242 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-2016-6242?

CVE-2016-6242 primarily affects Openbsd. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-6242?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2016-6242 published?

CVE-2016-6242 was published on 2017-03-07 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-6242

CVE-2016-6242 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Openbsd with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5. 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-189.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
CVSS v2: 4.9
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (35th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-189
Affected product: Openbsd
Published: 2017-03-07
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

OpenBSD 5.8 and 5.9 allows local users to cause a denial of service (assertion failure and kernel panic) via a large ident value in a kevent system call.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-6242?: OpenBSD 5.8 and 5.9 allows local users to cause a denial of service (assertion failure and kernel panic) via a large ident value in a kevent system call.
How severe is CVE-2016-6242?: CVE-2016-6242 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2016-6242 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-2016-6242?: CVE-2016-6242 primarily affects Openbsd. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-6242?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2016-6242 published?: CVE-2016-6242 was published on 2017-03-07 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (2)

cpe:2.3:o:openbsd:openbsd:5.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:openbsd:openbsd:5.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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