How severe is CVE-2016-9120?

CVE-2016-9120 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2016-9120 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (75th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-9120?

CVE-2016-9120 affects Linux Linux Kernel. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-9120?

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-2016-9120 published?

CVE-2016-9120 was published on 2016-12-08 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-9120

CVE-2016-9120 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel 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-264.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 9.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (75th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-264
Affected product: Linux Linux Kernel
Published: 2016-12-08
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Race condition in the ion_ioctl function in drivers/staging/android/ion/ion.c in the Linux kernel before 4.6 allows local users to gain privileges or cause a denial of service (use-after-free) by calling ION_IOC_FREE on two CPUs at the same time.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-9120?: Race condition in the ion_ioctl function in drivers/staging/android/ion/ion.c in the Linux kernel before 4.6 allows local users to gain privileges or cause a denial of service (use-after-free) by calling ION_IOC_FREE on two CPUs at the same time.
How severe is CVE-2016-9120?: CVE-2016-9120 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2016-9120 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (75th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-9120?: CVE-2016-9120 affects Linux Linux Kernel. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-9120?: 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-2016-9120 published?: CVE-2016-9120 was published on 2016-12-08 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

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

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