# CVE-2016-5180: Memory corruption in n/a > Remote attackers can cause denial of service or execute arbitrary code via a heap-based buffer overflow in the c-ares DNS library. - **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`) - **Exploited in the wild:** Not known - **Login needed:** Not needed - **Attackable:** Over the internet - **Victim action needed:** Not needed - **Fix available:** Yes - **Published:** 3 Oct 2016 - **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024 - **Also known as:** ALPINE-CVE-2016-5180, CLSA-2025-1757608893, DEBIAN-CVE-2016-5180, DLA-648-1, DSA-3682-1, ECHO-b5cc-eb5b-e937, GHSA-29hr-5wcr-whpc, MGASA-2016-0351, SUSE-SU-2016:2898-1, SUSE-SU-2016:3286-1, SUSE-SU-2016:3287-1, UBUNTU-CVE-2016-5180, USN-3143-1, openSUSE-SU-2024:10147-1 ## What is CVE-2016-5180? CVE-2016-5180 is a critical memory corruption vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux, published on 3 Oct 2016. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim. ### Official description Heap-based buffer overflow in the ares_create_query function in c-ares 1.x before 1.12.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds write) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a hostname with an escaped trailing dot. Weakness: CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write) ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-5180? It affects 5 products. | Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `libcares2` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP1 | All versions | 1.9.1-5.1 | | `libcares2` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP2 | All versions | 1.9.1-5.1 | | `nodejs4` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Web and Scripting 12 | All versions | 4.6.1-11.1 | | `libcares2` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP4 | All versions | 1.7.4-7.9.1 | | `libcares2` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP1 | All versions | 1.9.1-5.1 | | `libcares2` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2 | All versions | 1.9.1-5.1 | | `libcares2` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for Raspberry Pi 12 SP2 | All versions | 1.9.1-5.1 | | `libcares2` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 11 SP4 | All versions | 1.7.4-7.9.1 | | `libcares2` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP1 | All versions | 1.9.1-5.1 | | `libcares2` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP2 | All versions | 1.9.1-5.1 | | `libcares2` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 11 SP4 | All versions | 1.7.4-7.9.1 | | `libcares2` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP1 | All versions | 1.9.1-5.1 | | `libcares2` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP2 | All versions | 1.9.1-5.1 | | `libcares2` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 12 SP1 | All versions | 1.9.1-5.1 | | `libcares2` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 12 SP2 | All versions | 1.9.1-5.1 | | `c-ares` | openSUSE:Tumbleweed | All versions | 1.12.0-1.1 | Products: C-Ares C-Ares, C-Ares Project C-Ares, Canonical Ubuntu Linux, Debian Debian Linux, Nodejs Node.js. ## How do I fix CVE-2016-5180? Upgrade to a fixed version. ## Is CVE-2016-5180 being exploited? There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-5180 in the wild and no public exploit code. Public exploit code: - https://github.com/pouriam23/CVE-2016-5180 (github_poc): https://github.com/pouriam23/CVE-2016-5180 - https://github.com/pouriam23/CVE-2016-5180-docker- (github_poc): https://github.com/pouriam23/CVE-2016-5180-docker- - https://github.com/pouriam23/final-CVE-2016-5180 (github_poc): https://github.com/pouriam23/final-CVE-2016-5180 ## Other vulnerabilities in Canonical Ubuntu Linux - [CVE-2017-1000381](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-1000381/): Information disclosure in n/a (high 7.5) - [CVE-2025-62408](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-62408/): c-ares has a Use After Free vulnerability when connection is cleaned up after error (medium 5.9) - [CVE-2020-22217](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-22217/): Memory corruption in n/a (medium 5.9) - [CVE-2024-25629](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-25629/): c-ares out of bounds read in ares__read_line() (medium 4.4) - [CVE-2020-14354](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-14354/): Use after free in c-ares (low 3.3) ## Fix prompt for AI coding agents ```text Check this codebase for CVE-2016-5180 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2016-5180 is a critical memory corruption vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux, published on 3 Oct 2016. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim. Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-5180 in the wild and no public exploit code. Affected product: Canonical Ubuntu Linux. 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-2016-5180/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-5180/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-5180 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-5180 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-5180 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-5180/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.