# CVE-2016-7165: Privilege escalation in n/a

> Local attackers can escalate privileges if Siemens SIMATIC software is installed in a path with spaces, allowing execution of malicious binaries.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.4 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 15 Nov 2016
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-25rc-xhj7-mqxj

## What is CVE-2016-7165?

CVE-2016-7165 is a medium-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 15 Nov 2016. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A vulnerability has been identified in Primary Setup Tool (PST) (All versions < V4.2 HF1), SIMATIC IT Production Suite (All versions < V7.0 SP1 HFX 2), SIMATIC NET PC-Software (All versions < V14), SIMATIC PCS 7 V7.1 (All versions), SIMATIC PCS 7 V8.0 (All versions), SIMATIC PCS 7 V8.1 (All versions), SIMATIC PCS 7 V8.2 (All versions < V8.2 SP1), SIMATIC STEP 7 (TIA Portal) V13 (All versions < V13 SP2), SIMATIC STEP 7 V5.X (All versions < V5.5 SP4 HF11), SIMATIC WinCC (TIA Portal) Basic, Comfort, Advanced (All versions < V14), SIMATIC WinCC (TIA Portal) Professional V13 (All versions < V13 SP2), SIMATIC WinCC (TIA Portal) Professional V14 (All versions < V14 SP1), SIMATIC WinCC Runtime Professional V13 (All versions < V13 SP2), SIMATIC WinCC Runtime Professional V14 (All versions < V14 SP1), SIMATIC WinCC V7.0 SP2 and earlier versions (All versions < V7.0 SP2 Upd 12), SIMATIC WinCC V7.0 SP3 (All versions < V7.0 SP3 Upd 8), SIMATIC WinCC V7.2 (All versions < V7.2 Upd 14), SIMATIC WinCC V7.3 (All versions < V7.3 Upd 11), SIMATIC WinCC V7.4 (All versions < V7.4 SP1), SIMIT V9.0 (All versions < V9.0 SP1), SINEMA Remote Connect Client (All versions < V1.0 SP3), SINEMA Server (All versions < V13 SP2), SOFTNET Security Client V5.0 (All versions), Security Configuration Tool (SCT) (All versions < V4.3 HF1), TeleControl Server Basic (All versions < V3.0 SP2), WinAC RTX 2010 SP2 (All versions), WinAC RTX F 2010 SP2 (All versions). Unquoted service paths could allow local Microsoft Windows operating system users to escalate their privileges if the affected products are not installed under their default path ("C:\Program Files\*" or the localized equivalent).

Weakness: CWE-284 (Improper Access Control), CWE-254

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-7165?

It affects 18 products.


Products: Siemens Primary Setup Tool, Siemens Security Configuration Tool, Siemens Simatic It Production Suite, Siemens Simatic Net Pc Software, Siemens Simatic Pcs7, Siemens Simatic Pcs 7, Siemens Simatic Step 7, Siemens Simatic Step 7 \(Tia Portal\), Siemens Simatic Winac Rtx 2010, Siemens Simatic Winac Rtx F 2010, Siemens Simatic Wincc, Siemens Simatic Wincc \(Tia Portal\), Siemens Simatic Wincc Runtime, Siemens Simit, Siemens Sinema Remote Connect, Siemens Sinema Server, Siemens Softnet Security Client, Siemens Telecontrol Basic.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-7165?

No fix has been published for CVE-2016-7165 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2016-7165 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-7165 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-7165 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-7165 is a medium-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 15 Nov 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-2016-7165 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: n/a. 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-2016-7165/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-7165/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-7165
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-7165
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-7165

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-7165/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.