# CVE-2016-7091: Information disclosure in n/a

> Local users with sudo access can read sensitive files via readline INPUTRC manipulation, requiring a patch to mitigate information disclosure.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.4 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 22 Dec 2016
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-4h4j-rqc9-6rq3, RHSA-2016:2593

## What is CVE-2016-7091?

CVE-2016-7091 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Redhat Enterprise Linux, published on 22 Dec 2016. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

sudo: It was discovered that the default sudo configuration on Red Hat Enterprise Linux and possibly other Linux implementations preserves the value of INPUTRC which could lead to information disclosure. A local user with sudo access to a restricted program that uses readline could use this flaw to read content from specially formatted files with elevated privileges provided by sudo.

Weakness: CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-7091?

It affects 5 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `sudo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:1.8.6p7-20.el7 |
| `sudo-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:1.8.6p7-20.el7 |
| `sudo-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:1.8.6p7-20.el7 |
| `sudo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 0:1.8.6p7-20.el7 |
| `sudo-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 0:1.8.6p7-20.el7 |
| `sudo-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 0:1.8.6p7-20.el7 |
| `sudo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 0:1.8.6p7-20.el7 |
| `sudo-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 0:1.8.6p7-20.el7 |
| `sudo-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 0:1.8.6p7-20.el7 |
| `sudo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 0:1.8.6p7-20.el7 |
| `sudo-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 0:1.8.6p7-20.el7 |
| `sudo-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 0:1.8.6p7-20.el7 |

Products: Redhat Enterprise Linux, Redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop, Redhat Enterprise Linux Hpc Node, Redhat Enterprise Linux Server, Redhat Enterprise Linux Workstation.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-7091?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2016-7091 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-7091 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Redhat Enterprise Linux

- [CVE-2018-14667](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-14667/): Red Hat JBoss RichFaces Framework Expression Language Injection (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-20325](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-20325/): Missing fixes for CVE-2021-40438 and CVE-2021-26691 in the versions of httpd, as shipped in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.5.0, causes a securit (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2018-25011](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-25011/): Memory corruption in libwebp (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2018-25014](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-25014/): Other in libwebp (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2014-3585](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-3585/): Supply chain in redhat-upgrade-tool (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-7091 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-7091 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Redhat Enterprise Linux, published on 22 Dec 2016. 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-2016-7091 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Redhat Enterprise 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-2016-7091/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-7091/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-7091
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-7091
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-7091

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-7091/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.