How severe is CVE-2016-9296?

CVE-2016-9296 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2016-9296 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 7% (93rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-9296?

CVE-2016-9296 affects 7-zip P7zip. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-9296?

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-2016-9296 published?

CVE-2016-9296 was published on 2016-11-12 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-9296

CVE-2016-9296 is a high-severity vulnerability in 7-zip P7zip with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. 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-476.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 7% (93rd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-476
Affected product: 7-zip P7zip
Published: 2016-11-12
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A null pointer dereference bug affects the 16.02 and many old versions of p7zip. A lack of null pointer check for the variable folders.PackPositions in function CInArchive::ReadAndDecodePackedStreams in CPP/7zip/Archive/7z/7zIn.cpp, as used in the 7z.so library and in 7z applications, will cause a crash and a denial of service when decoding malformed 7z files.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-9296?: A null pointer dereference bug affects the 16.02 and many old versions of p7zip. A lack of null pointer check for the variable folders.PackPositions in function CInArchive::ReadAndDecodePackedStreams in CPP/7zip/Archive/7z/7zIn.cpp, as used in the 7z.so library and in 7z applications, will cause a crash and a denial of service when decoding malformed 7z files.
How severe is CVE-2016-9296?: CVE-2016-9296 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2016-9296 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 7% (93rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-9296?: CVE-2016-9296 affects 7-zip P7zip. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-9296?: 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-2016-9296 published?: CVE-2016-9296 was published on 2016-11-12 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:7-zip:p7zip:16.02:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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Other CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference) vulnerabilities

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Browse all CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference) vulnerabilities →