How severe is CVE-2016-7914?

CVE-2016-7914 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2016-7914 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (79th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-7914?

CVE-2016-7914 affects Linux Linux Kernel. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-7914?

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

When was CVE-2016-7914 published?

CVE-2016-7914 was published on 2016-11-16 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-7914

CVE-2016-7914 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel 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-125.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
CVSS v2: 7.1
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (79th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-125
Affected product: Linux Linux Kernel
Published: 2016-11-16
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The assoc_array_insert_into_terminal_node function in lib/assoc_array.c in the Linux kernel before 4.5.3 does not check whether a slot is a leaf, which allows local users to obtain sensitive information from kernel memory or cause a denial of service (invalid pointer dereference and out-of-bounds read) via an application that uses associative-array data structures, as demonstrated by the keyutils test suite.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-7914?: The assoc_array_insert_into_terminal_node function in lib/assoc_array.c in the Linux kernel before 4.5.3 does not check whether a slot is a leaf, which allows local users to obtain sensitive information from kernel memory or cause a denial of service (invalid pointer dereference and out-of-bounds read) via an application that uses associative-array data structures, as demonstrated by the keyutils test suite.
How severe is CVE-2016-7914?: CVE-2016-7914 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2016-7914 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (79th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-7914?: CVE-2016-7914 affects Linux Linux Kernel. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-7914?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2016-7914 published?: CVE-2016-7914 was published on 2016-11-16 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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