# CVE-2016-2203: Information disclosure in n/a

> Local users with read privileges can discover encrypted Active Directory passwords in the Symantec Messaging Gateway management console.

- **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:** No
- **Published:** 22 Apr 2016
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-w4px-29jm-36xf

## What is CVE-2016-2203?

CVE-2016-2203 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 22 Apr 2016. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The management console on Symantec Messaging Gateway (SMG) Appliance devices before 10.6.1 allows local users to discover an encrypted AD password by leveraging certain read privileges.

Weakness: CWE-255

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-2203?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Symantec Messaging Gateway.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-2203?

No fix has been published for CVE-2016-2203 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2016-2203 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2016-2203 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Symantec Messaging Gateway 10 Exposure of Stored AD Password Vulnerability (metasploit)
- Symantec Brightmail 10.6.0-7 - LDAP Credentials Disclosure (Metasploit) (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2017-6326](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-6326/): Code injection in Messaging Gateway (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2018-12242](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-12242/): Auth bypass in Symantec Messaging Gateway (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2018-12243](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-12243/): XML external entity in Symantec Messaging Gateway (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2016-2204](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-2204/): Command injection in n/a (high 8.2)
- [CVE-2012-3579](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-3579/): Hardcoded credentials in n/a (high 7.9)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-2203 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-2203 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 22 Apr 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-2016-2203 exists.

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-2016-2203/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-2203/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-2203
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-2203
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-2203

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-2203/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.