# CVE-2016-4552: Cross-site scripting in n/a

> Remote attackers can inject arbitrary web script or HTML via crafted email messages, potentially compromising user sessions.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.1 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 20 Dec 2016
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** CVE-2016-5103, DEBIAN-CVE-2016-4552, GHSA-23fp-mccx-jgj3

## What is CVE-2016-4552?

CVE-2016-4552 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Roundcube Webmail, published on 20 Dec 2016. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Roundcube Webmail before 1.2.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the href attribute in an area tag in an e-mail message.

Weakness: CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-4552?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Roundcube Webmail.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-4552?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2016-4552 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-4552 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Roundcube Webmail

- [CVE-2024-42009](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-42009/): RoundCube Webmail Cross-Site Scripting (critical 9.3, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-68461](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-68461/): RoundCube Webmail Cross-site Scripting (high 7.2, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2008-5619](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-5619/): PHPMailer susceptible to arbitrary code execution (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2024-37385](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-37385/): Command injection in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2024-42008](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-42008/): Cross-site scripting in n/a (critical 9.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-4552 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-4552 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Roundcube Webmail, published on 20 Dec 2016. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-4552 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Roundcube Webmail. 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-2016-4552/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-4552/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-4552
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-4552
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-4552

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-4552/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.