# CVE-2016-7914: Information disclosure in n/a

> Local attackers can read kernel memory or crash the system via associative-array structures due to missing leaf checks in the Linux kernel.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 16 Nov 2016
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2016-7914, GHSA-92qx-54jr-58qw, UBUNTU-CVE-2016-7914

## What is CVE-2016-7914?

CVE-2016-7914 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 16 Nov 2016. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

The assoc_array_insert_into_terminal_node function in lib/assoc_array.c in the Linux kernel before 4.5.3 does not check whether a slot is a leaf, which allows local users to obtain sensitive information from kernel memory or cause a denial of service (invalid pointer dereference and out-of-bounds read) via an application that uses associative-array data structures, as demonstrated by the keyutils test suite.

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference), CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-7914?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-7914?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2016-7914 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-7914 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-7914 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-7914 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 16 Nov 2016. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-7914 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. 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-2016-7914/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-7914/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-7914
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-7914
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-7914

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-7914/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.