# CVE-2016-9885: Missing authorization in GemFire for PCF 1.6.x versions prior to 1.6.5 and 1.7.x versions prior to 1.7.1

> Unauthenticated access to the GemFire shell endpoint allows attackers to execute commands, escalate privileges, read data, or cause denial of service.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 6 Jan 2017
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-xj9h-242g-rjqv

## What is CVE-2016-9885?

CVE-2016-9885 is a critical missing authorization vulnerability in GemFire for PCF 1.6.x versions prior to 1.6.5 and 1.7.x versions prior to 1.7.1, published on 6 Jan 2017. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

An issue was discovered in Pivotal GemFire for PCF 1.6.x versions prior to 1.6.5 and 1.7.x versions prior to 1.7.1. The gfsh (Geode Shell) endpoint, used by operators and application developers to connect to their cluster, is unauthenticated and publicly accessible. Because HTTPS communications are terminated at the gorouter, communications from the gorouter to GemFire clusters are unencrypted. An attacker could run any command available on gfsh and could cause denial of service, lost confidentiality of data, escalate privileges, or eavesdrop on other communications between the gorouter and the cluster.

Weakness: CWE-254, CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-9885?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Pivotal Software Gemfire for Pivotal Cloud Foundry.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-9885?

No fix has been published for CVE-2016-9885 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2016-9885 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-9885 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in GemFire for PCF 1.6.x versions prior to 1.6.5 and 1.7.x versions prior to 1.7.1

- [CVE-2016-9880](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-9880/): Missing authorization in GemFire broker for Cloud Foundry (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-9885 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-9885 is a critical missing authorization vulnerability in GemFire for PCF 1.6.x versions prior to 1.6.5 and 1.7.x versions prior to 1.7.1, published on 6 Jan 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-2016-9885 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: GemFire for PCF 1.6.x versions prior to 1.6.5 and 1.7.x versions prior to 1.7.1. 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-2016-9885/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-9885/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-9885
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-9885
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-9885

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-9885/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.