How severe is CVE-2016-6252?

CVE-2016-6252 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-2016-6252 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (33rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-6252?

CVE-2016-6252 affects Shadow Project Shadow. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-6252?

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-2016-6252 published?

CVE-2016-6252 was published on 2017-02-17 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-6252

CVE-2016-6252 is a high-severity vulnerability in Shadow Project Shadow 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-190.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 4.6
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (33rd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-190
Affected product: Shadow Project Shadow
Published: 2017-02-17
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Integer overflow in shadow 4.2.1 allows local users to gain privileges via crafted input to newuidmap.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-6252?: Integer overflow in shadow 4.2.1 allows local users to gain privileges via crafted input to newuidmap.
How severe is CVE-2016-6252?: CVE-2016-6252 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-2016-6252 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (33rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-6252?: CVE-2016-6252 affects Shadow Project Shadow. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-6252?: 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-2016-6252 published?: CVE-2016-6252 was published on 2017-02-17 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:shadow_project:shadow:4.2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Shadow Project Shadow

CVE-2017-12424 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): In shadow before 4.5, the newusers tool could be made to manipulate internal data structures in ways unintended by the…
CVE-2019-19882 — High (CVSS 7.8): shadow 4.8, in certain circumstances affecting at least Gentoo, Arch Linux, and Void Linux, allows local users to…
CVE-2018-7169 — Medium (CVSS 5.3): An issue was discovered in shadow 4.5. newgidmap (in shadow-utils) is setuid and allows an unprivileged user to be…
CVE-2023-29383 — Low (CVSS 3.3): In Shadow 4.13, it is possible to inject control characters into fields provided to the SUID program chfn (change…

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