# CVE-2016-1255: Path traversal in n/a

> Local attackers can gain root privileges via a symlink attack on a PostgreSQL log file in Debian and Ubuntu systems.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 5 Dec 2017
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2016-1255, DLA-774-1, ECHO-9914-6d37-4412, GHSA-67hr-wg4g-mjjv, UBUNTU-CVE-2016-1255

## What is CVE-2016-1255?

CVE-2016-1255 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in n/a, published on 5 Dec 2017. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The pg_ctlcluster script in postgresql-common package in Debian wheezy before 134wheezy5, in Debian jessie before 165+deb8u2, in Debian unstable before 178, in Ubuntu 12.04 LTS before 129ubuntu1.2, in Ubuntu 14.04 LTS before 154ubuntu1.1, in Ubuntu 16.04 LTS before 173ubuntu0.1, in Ubuntu 17.04 before 179ubuntu0.1, and in Ubuntu 17.10 before 184ubuntu1.1 allows local users to gain root privileges via a symlink attack on a logfile in /var/log/postgresql.

Weakness: CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-1255?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Debian Postgresql-Common.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-1255?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2016-1255 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-1255 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-1255 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-1255 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in n/a, published on 5 Dec 2017. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-1255 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: n/a. 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-2016-1255/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-1255/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-1255
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-1255
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-1255

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-1255/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.