# CVE-2016-3115: Other in n/a

> Authenticated users can bypass shell-command restrictions via crafted X11 forwarding data in OpenSSH, requiring X11 forwarding enabled.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 22 Mar 2016
- **Updated:** 29 May 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2016-3115, GHSA-p759-vw7c-cvg8, MGASA-2016-0108, UBUNTU-CVE-2016-3115

## What is CVE-2016-3115?

CVE-2016-3115 is a medium-severity vulnerability in OpenSSH, published on 22 Mar 2016. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Multiple CRLF injection vulnerabilities in session.c in sshd in OpenSSH before 7.2p2 allow remote authenticated users to bypass intended shell-command restrictions via crafted X11 forwarding data, related to the (1) do_authenticated1 and (2) session_x11_req functions.

Weakness: CWE-93 (Improper Neutralization of CRLF Sequences)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-3115?

It affects 2 products.


Products: OpenSSH, Oracle Vm Server.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-3115?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2016-3115 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2016-3115 exists.

Public exploit code:

- OpenSSH 7.2p1 - (Authenticated) xauth Command Injection (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in OpenSSH

- [CVE-2003-0786](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2003-0786/): Auth bypass in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2003-0693](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2003-0693/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2002-0640](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2002-0640/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2001-0144](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2001-0144/): Integer overflow in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2000-0999](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2000-0999/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-3115 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-3115 is a medium-severity vulnerability in OpenSSH, published on 22 Mar 2016. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2016-3115 exists.

Affected product: OpenSSH. 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-2016-3115/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-3115/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-3115
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-3115
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-3115

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-3115/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.