# CVE-2016-5749: XML external entity in NetIQ Access Manager

> Attackers can exploit XML External Entity vulnerabilities in SAML request parsing to disclose local files from the server.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **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:** 23 Mar 2017
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-w6x6-jqmr-mmc8

## What is CVE-2016-5749?

CVE-2016-5749 is a medium-severity vulnerability in NetIQ Access Manager, published on 23 Mar 2017. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

NetIQ Access Manager 4.1 before 4.1.2 HF 1 and 4.2 before 4.2.2 was parsing incoming SAML requests with external entity resolution enabled, which could lead to local file disclosure via an XML External Entity (XXE) attack.

Weakness: CWE-611 (Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-5749?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Netiq Access Manager.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-5749?

No fix has been published for CVE-2016-5749 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2016-5749 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-5749 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in NetIQ Access Manager

- [CVE-2018-1342](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-1342/): File upload in NetIQ Access Manager, Administrative Console (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2017-14803](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-14803/): Code injection in NetIQ Access Manager (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2016-5757](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-5757/): Information disclosure in NetIQ Access Manager (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2016-5750](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-5750/): File upload in NetIQ iManager (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2016-5758](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-5758/): Cross-site request forgery in NetIQ Access Manager (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-5749 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-5749 is a medium-severity vulnerability in NetIQ Access Manager, published on 23 Mar 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-2016-5749 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: NetIQ Access Manager. 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-2016-5749/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-5749/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-5749
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-5749
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-5749

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-5749/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.