# CVE-2016-5424: Code injection in n/a

> Authenticated users with CREATEDB or CREATEROLE roles can gain superuser privileges by injecting special characters into database or role names.

- **Severity:** High 7.1 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 9 Dec 2016
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-9j99-5j9q-2gmp, UBUNTU-CVE-2016-5424

## What is CVE-2016-5424?

CVE-2016-5424 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 9 Dec 2016. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

PostgreSQL before 9.1.23, 9.2.x before 9.2.18, 9.3.x before 9.3.14, 9.4.x before 9.4.9, and 9.5.x before 9.5.4 might allow remote authenticated users with the CREATEDB or CREATEROLE role to gain superuser privileges via a (1) " (double quote), (2) \ (backslash), (3) carriage return, or (4) newline character in a (a) database or (b) role name that is mishandled during an administrative operation.

Weakness: CWE-94 (Improper Control of Generation of Code)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-5424?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Debian Debian Linux, Postgresql Postgresql.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-5424?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2016-5424 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-5424 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Debian Debian Linux

- [CVE-2015-3306](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-3306/): ProFTPD Improper Access Control (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-49113](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-49113/): RoundCube Webmail Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-24061](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24061/): GNU InetUtils Argument Injection (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-39682](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-39682/): Linux Kernel Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-9680](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9680/): Mozilla Firefox Use-After-Free (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-5424 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-5424 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 9 Dec 2016. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-5424 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Debian Debian 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-2016-5424/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-5424/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-5424
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-5424
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-5424

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-5424/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.