# CVE-2016-8962: Weak cryptography in BigFix Inventory

> Weak default password policy in IBM BigFix Inventory allows attackers to compromise user accounts through brute-force or guessing attacks.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.9 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 26 Apr 2017
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-q56v-xr7j-66jq

## What is CVE-2016-8962?

CVE-2016-8962 is a medium-severity vulnerability in IBM Corporation BigFix Inventory, published on 26 Apr 2017. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

IBM BigFix Inventory 9.2 does not require that users should have strong passwords by default, which makes it easier for attackers to compromise user accounts. IBM X-Force ID: 118851.

Weakness: CWE-255

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-8962?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Ibm Bigfix Inventory.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-8962?

No fix has been published for CVE-2016-8962 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2016-8962 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-8962 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in IBM Corporation BigFix Inventory

- [CVE-2016-8964](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8964/): Security feature bypass in BigFix Inventory (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2016-8980](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8980/): XML external entity in BigFix Inventory (high 8.1)
- [CVE-2016-8961](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8961/): Open redirect in BigFix Inventory (medium 6.1)
- [CVE-2016-8966](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8966/): Information disclosure in BigFix Inventory (medium 5.9)
- [CVE-2016-8963](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8963/): Information disclosure in BigFix Inventory (medium 5.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-8962 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-8962 is a medium-severity vulnerability in IBM Corporation BigFix Inventory, published on 26 Apr 2017. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-8962 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: IBM Corporation BigFix Inventory. 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-2016-8962/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8962/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-8962
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-8962
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-8962

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8962/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.