How severe is CVE-2016-7796?

CVE-2016-7796 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-2016-7796 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (56th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-7796?

CVE-2016-7796 primarily affects Systemd Project Systemd. In total, 13 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-7796?

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

When was CVE-2016-7796 published?

CVE-2016-7796 was published on 2016-10-13 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-7796

CVE-2016-7796 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Systemd Project Systemd 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-20.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
CVSS v2: 4.9
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (56th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
Affected product: Systemd Project Systemd
Published: 2016-10-13
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The manager_dispatch_notify_fd function in systemd allows local users to cause a denial of service (system hang) via a zero-length message received over a notify socket, which causes an error to be returned and the notification handler to be disabled.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-7796?: The manager_dispatch_notify_fd function in systemd allows local users to cause a denial of service (system hang) via a zero-length message received over a notify socket, which causes an error to be returned and the notification handler to be disabled.
How severe is CVE-2016-7796?: CVE-2016-7796 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-2016-7796 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (56th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-7796?: CVE-2016-7796 primarily affects Systemd Project Systemd. In total, 13 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-7796?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2016-7796 published?: CVE-2016-7796 was published on 2016-10-13 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (13)

cpe:2.3:a:systemd_project:systemd:209:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:systemd_project:systemd:213:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:systemd_project:systemd:214:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:systemd_project:systemd:229:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:novell:suse_linux_enterprise_software_development_kit:12.0:sp1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:novell:suse_linux_enterprise_desktop:12:sp1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:novell:suse_linux_enterprise_server:12.0:*:*:*:ltss:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:novell:suse_linux_enterprise_server:12.0:sp1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:novell:suse_linux_enterprise_server_for_sap:12.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_hpc_node:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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