# CVE-2016-3643: SolarWinds Virtualization Manager Privilege Escalation

> Local attackers can escalate privileges via sudo misconfiguration in SolarWinds Virtualization Manager, allowing unauthorized access to sensitive system files.

- **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:** Yes, since 3 Nov 2021 (CISA KEV)
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 17 Jun 2016
- **Updated:** 21 Oct 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-fww7-75jj-wj62

## What is CVE-2016-3643?

CVE-2016-3643 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 17 Jun 2016. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

SolarWinds Virtualization Manager 6.3.1 and earlier allow local users to gain privileges by leveraging a misconfiguration of sudo, as demonstrated by "sudo cat /etc/passwd."

Weakness: CWE-264

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-3643?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Solarwinds Virtualization Manager.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-3643?

No fix has been published for CVE-2016-3643 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available. US federal agencies must fix it by 3 May 2022.

## Is CVE-2016-3643 being exploited?

Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2016-3643 in the wild since at least 3 Nov 2021.

Public exploit code:

- SolarWinds Virtualization Manager - Local Privilege Escalation (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2016-3642](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-3642/): Deserialization in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2016-5709](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-5709/): Weak cryptography in n/a (medium 4.7)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-3643 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-3643 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 17 Jun 2016. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2016-3643 in the wild since at least 3 Nov 2021.

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-2016-3643/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-3643/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-3643
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-3643
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-3643

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-3643/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.