# CVE-2016-1583: Privilege escalation in n/a

> Local attackers can gain privileges or cause denial of service via crafted mmap calls in the Linux kernel ecryptfs module.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/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:** 27 Jun 2016
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2016-1583, GHSA-hgx4-cgxm-99gj, RHSA-2017:2760, SUSE-SU-2016:1596-1, UBUNTU-CVE-2016-1583, USN-2999-1, USN-3008-1

## What is CVE-2016-1583?

CVE-2016-1583 is a high-severity vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux, published on 27 Jun 2016. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The ecryptfs_privileged_open function in fs/ecryptfs/kthread.c in the Linux kernel before 4.6.3 allows local users to gain privileges or cause a denial of service (stack memory consumption) via vectors involving crafted mmap calls for /proc pathnames, leading to recursive pagefault handling.

Weakness: CWE-119 (Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-1583?

It affects 10 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `kernel` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::computenode | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `kernel-abi-whitelists` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::computenode | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `kernel-debug` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::computenode | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `kernel-debug-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::computenode | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `kernel-debug-devel` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::computenode | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `kernel-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::computenode | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `kernel-debuginfo-common-i686` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::computenode | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::computenode | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `kernel-devel` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::computenode | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `kernel-doc` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::computenode | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `kernel-firmware` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::computenode | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `kernel-headers` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::computenode | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `perf` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::computenode | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `perf-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::computenode | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `python-perf` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::computenode | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `python-perf-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::computenode | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `kernel` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::server | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `kernel-abi-whitelists` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::server | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `kernel-bootwrapper` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::server | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `kernel-debug` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::server | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `kernel-debug-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::server | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `kernel-debug-devel` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::server | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `kernel-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::server | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `kernel-debuginfo-common-i686` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::server | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::server | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `kernel-debuginfo-common-s390x` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::server | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::server | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `kernel-devel` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::server | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `kernel-doc` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::server | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `kernel-firmware` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::server | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `kernel-headers` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::server | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `kernel-kdump` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::server | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `kernel-kdump-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::server | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `kernel-kdump-devel` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::server | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `perf` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::server | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `perf-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::server | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `python-perf` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::server | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `python-perf-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::server | All versions | 0:2.6.32-573.47.1.el6 |
| `kernel-default` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 | All versions | 3.12.55-52.45.1 |
| `kernel-source` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 | All versions | 3.12.55-52.45.1 |

Products: Canonical Ubuntu Linux, Debian Debian Linux, Linux kernel, Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Debuginfo, Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop, Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Live Patching, Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Module for Public Cloud, Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Server, Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit, Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-1583?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2016-1583 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2016-1583 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Linux Kernel - 'ecryptfs' '/proc/$pid/environ' Local Privilege Escalation (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in Canonical Ubuntu Linux

- [CVE-2020-11651](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-11651/): SaltStack Salt Authentication Bypass (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-7247](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-7247/): OpenSMTPD Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2019-16928](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-16928/): Exim Out-of-bounds Write (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2018-6789](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-6789/): Exim Buffer Overflow (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2015-2590](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-2590/): Oracle Java SE and Java SE Embedded Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-1583 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-1583 is a high-severity vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux, published on 27 Jun 2016. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2016-1583 exists.

Affected product: Canonical Ubuntu Linux. 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-2016-1583/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-1583/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-1583
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-1583
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-1583

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-1583/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.