# CVE-2016-8657: Privilege escalation in n/a

> Local attackers can escalate privileges to root by modifying a world-writable configuration file sourced by the JBoss init script on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **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:** Yes
- **Published:** 31 Jul 2018
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-gqxm-5ghp-x5rj

## What is CVE-2016-8657?

CVE-2016-8657 is a high-severity vulnerability in Redhat Jboss Enterprise Application Platform, published on 31 Jul 2018. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

It was discovered that EAP packages in certain versions of Red Hat Enterprise Linux use incorrect permissions for /etc/sysconfig/jbossas configuration files. The file is writable to jboss group (root:jboss, 664). On systems using classic /etc/init.d init scripts (i.e. on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 and earlier), the file is sourced by the jboss init script and its content executed with root privileges when jboss service is started, stopped, or restarted.

Weakness: CWE-264

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-8657?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Redhat Jboss Enterprise Application Platform.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-8657?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2016-8657 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-8657 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Redhat Jboss Enterprise Application Platform

- [CVE-2017-12149](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-12149/): Red Hat JBoss Application Server Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2010-1428](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-1428/): Red Hat JBoss Information Disclosure (medium 5.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2010-0738](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-0738/): Red Hat JBoss Authentication Bypass (low 3.7, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2016-3690](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-3690/): Deserialization in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2017-7504](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-7504/): Deserialization in JBoss (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-8657 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-8657 is a high-severity vulnerability in Redhat Jboss Enterprise Application Platform, published on 31 Jul 2018. 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-2016-8657 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Redhat Jboss Enterprise Application Platform. 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-2016-8657/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8657/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-8657
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-8657
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-8657

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8657/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.