# CVE-2016-0603: Path traversal in n/a

> Local attackers can gain privileges via a Trojan horse DLL in the application directory due to an untrusted search path issue in Java SE on Windows.

- **Severity:** High 7.6 (`AV:N/AC:H/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 8 Feb 2016
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-2hfm-pcvh-xc2h, MINI-c2f2-6j8p-w74g

## What is CVE-2016-0603?

CVE-2016-0603 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Oracle Jdk, published on 8 Feb 2016. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Unspecified vulnerability in the Java SE component in Oracle Java SE 6u111, 7u95, 8u71, and 8u72, when running on Windows, allows remote attackers to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability via unknown vectors related to Install.  NOTE: the previous information is from Oracle's Security Alert for CVE-2016-0603. Oracle has not commented on third-party claims that this is an untrusted search path issue that allows local users to gain privileges via a Trojan horse dll in the "application directory."

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-0603?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Oracle Jdk, Oracle Jre.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-0603?

No fix has been published for CVE-2016-0603 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2016-0603 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-0603 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Oracle Jdk

- [CVE-2012-4681](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-4681/): Oracle Java SE Runtime Environment (JRE) Arbitrary Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2012-1723](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-1723/): Oracle Java SE Runtime Environment (JRE) Arbitrary Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2015-4805](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-4805/): Deserialization in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2015-4835](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-4835/): Other in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2015-4843](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-4843/): Other in n/a (critical 10.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-0603 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-0603 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Oracle Jdk, published on 8 Feb 2016. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-0603 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Oracle Jdk. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-0603/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-0603/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-0603
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-0603
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-0603

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-0603/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.