# CVE-2016-5990: File upload in Privileged Identity Manager

> Authenticated users can upload malicious files to the IBM Privileged Identity Manager Virtual Appliance, leading to automatic server-side code execution.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.3 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 1 Feb 2017
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-gxx5-h743-7mxx

## What is CVE-2016-5990?

CVE-2016-5990 is a medium-severity vulnerability in IBM Corporation Privileged Identity Manager, published on 1 Feb 2017. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

IBM Security Privileged Identity Manager Virtual Appliance allows an authenticated user to upload malicious files that would be automatically executed by the server.

Weakness: CWE-284 (Improper Access Control)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-5990?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Ibm Security Privileged Identity Manager.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-5990?

No fix has been published for CVE-2016-5990 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2016-5990 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-5990 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in IBM Corporation Privileged Identity Manager

- [CVE-2016-5964](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-5964/): Security feature bypass in Privileged Identity Manager (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2018-1640](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-1640/): Command injection in Security Privileged Identity Manager (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2018-1618](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-1618/): Path traversal in Security Privileged Identity Manager (high 7.7)
- [CVE-2016-5958](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-5958/): Information disclosure in Privileged Identity Manager (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2016-5988](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-5988/): Information disclosure in Privileged Identity Manager (medium 6.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-5990 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-5990 is a medium-severity vulnerability in IBM Corporation Privileged Identity Manager, published on 1 Feb 2017. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-5990 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: IBM Corporation Privileged Identity 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-2016-5990/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-5990/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-5990
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-5990
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-5990

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-5990/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.