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CVE-2016-7916

16
FAUCET Score

CVE-2016-7916 describes a race condition in the Linux kernel's environ_read function, affecting versions prior to 4.5.4. This vulnerability allows local users to extract sensitive information from kernel memory by reading a /proc/*/environ file during a specific, brief window when environment variables are being copied. Rated as Medium severity (CVSS 5.5), it requires local access and user interaction to exploit, potentially leading to high confidentiality impact without affecting integrity or availability. There is no evidence of active exploitation, public exploit code (Metasploit, Nuclei, ExploitDB), or significant community discussion or media coverage.

Impacted Technologies

VendorProductVersion(s)CPE
<= 4.5.3CPE matchmatch criteria
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

CVSS Data

CVSS version used by this source: 3.0

5.5MEDIUM

CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Attack Vector
LOCAL
Attack Complexity
LOW
Privileges Required
NONE
User Interaction
REQUIRED
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality Impact
HIGH
Integrity Impact
NONE
Availability Impact
NONE
Exploitability Score
1.8
Impact Score
3.6
CvssVersion
3.0

Exploit Intelligence

EPSS Score
0.39%
Probability of exploitation in next 30 days
EPSS Percentile
31.4%
Percentile rank of EPSS score among Peer Group
As of 2026-07-26
Model: v2026.06.15
This CVE's current EPSS score of 0.0039 is in the 38th percentile among its peer group of 5,758 CVEs.

Social Chatter

No social media mentions found for this CVE.

The average CVE in this peer group has 0.0 Twitter, 0.0 Reddit, 0.0 Bluesky, 0.0 Mastodon, and 0.1 GitHub mentions.

Media Mentions

No media coverage found for this CVE.

The average CVE in this peer group has 0.1 InfoSec Media, 0.0 Vendor Blog, and 0.0 Security Researcher mentions.

Remediation

Patch Available

Vendor Patches (4)

github_advisorypatch availablevia nvd_reference
View patch
redhatend of lifevia redhat_api
Product: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7Fixed in: kernel
redhatend of lifevia redhat_api
Product: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7Fixed in: kernel-rt
redhatend of lifevia redhat_api
Product: Red Hat Enterprise MRG 2Fixed in: realtime-kernel

Vendor Advisories (1)

redhatCVE-2016-7916Low

kernel: proc: prevent accessing /proc/<pid>/environ until it's ready

Jan 19, 2016

References

git.kernel.org / cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit
Issue TrackingPatchThird Party Advisory
bugzilla.kernel.org / show_bug.cgi
Issue Tracking
forums.grsecurity.net / viewtopic.php
Issue Tracking
github.com / torvalds/linux/commit/8148a73c9901a8794a50f950083c00ccf97d43b3
Issue TrackingPatchThird Party Advisory
source.android.com / security/bulletin/2016-11-01.html
Third Party Advisory
kernel.org / pub/linux/kernel/v4.x/ChangeLog-4.5.4
Release NotesVendor Advisory
securityfocus.com / bid/94138
Third Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
ubuntu.com / usn/USN-3159-1
ubuntu.com / usn/USN-3159-2