# CVE-2016-3989: Privilege escalation in n/a

> Authenticated attackers can escalate privileges to root via the NTP interface, allowing data modification and sensitive information disclosure.

- **Severity:** High 8.1 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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:** No
- **Published:** 3 Jul 2016
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-qf6p-prwp-r624

## What is CVE-2016-3989?

CVE-2016-3989 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 3 Jul 2016. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The NTP time-server interface on Meinberg IMS-LANTIME M3000, IMS-LANTIME M1000, IMS-LANTIME M500, LANTIME M900, LANTIME M600, LANTIME M400, LANTIME M300, LANTIME M200, LANTIME M100, SyncFire 1100, and LCES devices with firmware before 6.20.004 allows remote authenticated users to obtain root privileges for writing to unspecified scripts, and consequently obtain sensitive information or modify data, by leveraging access to the nobody account.

Weakness: CWE-264

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-3989?

It affects 12 products.


Products: Meinberg Ims-Lantime M1000, Meinberg Ims-Lantime M3000, Meinberg Ims-Lantime M500, Meinberg Lantime M100, Meinberg Lantime M200, Meinberg Lantime M300, Meinberg Lantime M400, Meinberg Lantime M600, Meinberg Lantime M900, Meinberg Lces, Meinberg Ntp Server Firmware, Meinberg Syncfire 1100.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-3989?

No fix has been published for CVE-2016-3989 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2016-3989 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-3989 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- Meinberg NTP Time Server ELX800/GPS M4x V5.30p - Remote Command Execution / Escalate Privileges (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2016-3962](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-3962/): Memory corruption in n/a (high 7.3)
- [CVE-2016-3988](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-3988/): Memory corruption in n/a (high 7.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-3989 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-3989 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 3 Jul 2016. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-3989 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-2016-3989/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-3989/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-3989
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-3989
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-3989

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-3989/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.