# CVE-2016-4973: Memory corruption in n/a

> Local attackers can exploit buffer overflows in binaries using GCC libssp due to missing Object Size Checking, potentially executing arbitrary code.

- **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:** 7 Jun 2017
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2016-4973, ECHO-a343-3595-94e7, GHSA-fxx4-jm8v-4948, UBUNTU-CVE-2016-4973

## What is CVE-2016-4973?

CVE-2016-4973 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in n/a, published on 7 Jun 2017. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Binaries compiled against targets that use the libssp library in GCC for stack smashing protection (SSP) might allow local users to perform buffer overflow attacks by leveraging lack of the Object Size Checking feature.

Weakness: CWE-119 (Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-4973?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Gnu Libssp.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-4973?

No fix has been published for CVE-2016-4973 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2016-4973 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-4973 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-4973 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-4973 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in n/a, published on 7 Jun 2017. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-4973 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-2016-4973/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-4973/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-4973
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-4973
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-4973

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-4973/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.