The client in OpenSSH before 7.2 mishandles failed cookie generation for untrusted X11…
Priority MEDIUM 64CWE-287Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Security bypass
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 16 fixed, 1 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CISA ADP. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-287.
Summary
The client in OpenSSH before 7.2 mishandles failed cookie generation for untrusted X11 forwarding and relies on the local X11 server for access-control decisions, which allows remote X11 clients to trigger a fallback and obtain trusted X11 forwarding privileges by leveraging configuration issues on this X11 server, as demonstrated by lack of the SECURITY extension on this X11 server.
Why it matters now
Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.13736 96th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Partial Red Hat: 2 advisoriesRed Hat: 16 fixed, 1 without a fix
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | all versions | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- — Vendor— Affected all versions Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 25
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:openbsd:openssh:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | before 7.2 | Vulnerable | OpenBSD |
| cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 8.0 | Vulnerable | Debian |
| cpe:2.3:o:oracle:linux:6:-:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6 | Vulnerable | Oracle |
| cpe:2.3:o:oracle:linux:7:-:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7 | Vulnerable | Oracle |
| cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop:6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.0 | Vulnerable | Red Hat |
| cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.0 | Vulnerable | Red Hat |
| cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_eus:7.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.2 | Vulnerable | Red Hat |
| cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_eus:7.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.3 | Vulnerable | Red Hat |
| cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_eus:7.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.4 | Vulnerable | Red Hat |
| cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_eus:7.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.5 | Vulnerable | Red Hat |
- cpe:2.3:a:openbsd:openssh:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 7.2 Vulnerable ·OpenBSD
- cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 8.0 Vulnerable ·Debian
- cpe:2.3:o:oracle:linux:6:-:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6 Vulnerable ·Oracle
- cpe:2.3:o:oracle:linux:7:-:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7 Vulnerable ·Oracle
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop:6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.0 Vulnerable ·Red Hat
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 Vulnerable ·Red Hat
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_eus:7.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.2 Vulnerable ·Red Hat
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_eus:7.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.3 Vulnerable ·Red Hat
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_eus:7.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.4 Vulnerable ·Red Hat
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_eus:7.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.5 Vulnerable ·Red Hat
Show 15 more CPE
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_eus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.6 | Vulnerable | Red Hat |
| cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_eus:7.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.7 | Vulnerable | Red Hat |
| cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server:6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.0 | Vulnerable | Red Hat |
| cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.0 | Vulnerable | Red Hat |
| cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.2 | Vulnerable | Red Hat |
| cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.3 | Vulnerable | Red Hat |
| cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.4 | Vulnerable | Red Hat |
| cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.6 | Vulnerable | Red Hat |
| cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.7 | Vulnerable | Red Hat |
| cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:7.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.2 | Vulnerable | Red Hat |
| cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:7.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.3 | Vulnerable | Red Hat |
| cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.6 | Vulnerable | Red Hat |
| cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:7.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.7 | Vulnerable | Red Hat |
| cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation:6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.0 | Vulnerable | Red Hat |
| cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.0 | Vulnerable | Red Hat |
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_eus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.6 Vulnerable ·Red Hat
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_eus:7.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.7 Vulnerable ·Red Hat
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server:6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.0 Vulnerable ·Red Hat
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 Vulnerable ·Red Hat
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.2 Vulnerable ·Red Hat
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.3 Vulnerable ·Red Hat
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.4 Vulnerable ·Red Hat
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.6 Vulnerable ·Red Hat
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.7 Vulnerable ·Red Hat
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:7.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.2 Vulnerable ·Red Hat
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:7.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.3 Vulnerable ·Red Hat
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.6 Vulnerable ·Red Hat
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:7.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.7 Vulnerable ·Red Hat
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation:6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.0 Vulnerable ·Red Hat
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 Vulnerable ·Red Hat
Remediation
Red Hat 2 advisories
- RHSA-2016:0741 Released 2016-05-10 · Red Hat rating Moderateopenssh security, bug fix, and enhancement update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop (v. 6) openssh-5.3p1-117.el6, openssh-askpass-5.3p1-117.el6, openssh-clients-5.3p1-117.el6 +1
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop Optional (v. 6) openssh-ldap-5.3p1-117.el6, pam_ssh_agent_auth-0.9.3-117.el6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux HPC Node (v. 6) openssh-5.3p1-117.el6, openssh-clients-5.3p1-117.el6, openssh-server-5.3p1-117.el6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux HPC Node Optional (v. 6) openssh-askpass-5.3p1-117.el6, openssh-ldap-5.3p1-117.el6, pam_ssh_agent_auth-0.9.3-117.el6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server (v. 6) openssh-5.3p1-117.el6, openssh-askpass-5.3p1-117.el6, openssh-clients-5.3p1-117.el6 +1
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Optional (v. 6) openssh-ldap-5.3p1-117.el6, pam_ssh_agent_auth-0.9.3-117.el6, pam_ssh_agent_auth-0.9.3-117.el6.ppc
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation (v. 6) openssh-5.3p1-117.el6, openssh-askpass-5.3p1-117.el6, openssh-clients-5.3p1-117.el6 +1
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation Optional (v. 6) openssh-ldap-5.3p1-117.el6, pam_ssh_agent_auth-0.9.3-117.el6
- RHSA-2016:0465 Released 2016-03-21 · Red Hat rating Moderateopenssh security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client (v. 7) openssh-6.6.1p1-25.el7_2, openssh-askpass-6.6.1p1-25.el7_2, openssh-clients-6.6.1p1-25.el7_2 +2
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client Optional (v. 7) openssh-ldap-6.6.1p1-25.el7_2, openssh-server-sysvinit-6.6.1p1-25.el7_2, pam_ssh_agent_auth-0.9.3-9.25.el7_2
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux ComputeNode (v. 7) openssh-6.6.1p1-25.el7_2, openssh-clients-6.6.1p1-25.el7_2, openssh-keycat-6.6.1p1-25.el7_2 +1
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux ComputeNode Optional (v. 7) openssh-askpass-6.6.1p1-25.el7_2, openssh-ldap-6.6.1p1-25.el7_2, openssh-server-sysvinit-6.6.1p1-25.el7_2 +1
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server (v. 7) openssh-6.6.1p1-25.el7_2, openssh-askpass-6.6.1p1-25.el7_2, openssh-clients-6.6.1p1-25.el7_2 +2
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Optional (v. 7) openssh-ldap-6.6.1p1-25.el7_2, openssh-server-sysvinit-6.6.1p1-25.el7_2, pam_ssh_agent_auth-0.9.3-9.25.el7_2 +1
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation (v. 7) openssh-6.6.1p1-25.el7_2, openssh-askpass-6.6.1p1-25.el7_2, openssh-clients-6.6.1p1-25.el7_2 +2
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation Optional (v. 7) openssh-ldap-6.6.1p1-25.el7_2, openssh-server-sysvinit-6.6.1p1-25.el7_2, pam_ssh_agent_auth-0.9.3-9.25.el7_2
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 | Affected | No fix planned: Will not fix |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client (v. 7) | Fixed | RHSA-2016:0465 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client Optional (v. 7) | Fixed | RHSA-2016:0465 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux ComputeNode (v. 7) | Fixed | RHSA-2016:0465 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux ComputeNode Optional (v. 7) | Fixed | RHSA-2016:0465 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop (v. 6) | Fixed | RHSA-2016:0741 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop Optional (v. 6) | Fixed | RHSA-2016:0741 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux HPC Node (v. 6) | Fixed | RHSA-2016:0741 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux HPC Node Optional (v. 6) | Fixed | RHSA-2016:0741 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server (v. 6) | Fixed | RHSA-2016:0741 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server (v. 7) | Fixed | RHSA-2016:0465 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Optional (v. 6) | Fixed | RHSA-2016:0741 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Optional (v. 7) | Fixed | RHSA-2016:0465 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation (v. 6) | Fixed | RHSA-2016:0741 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation (v. 7) | Fixed | RHSA-2016:0465 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation Optional (v. 6) | Fixed | RHSA-2016:0741 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation Optional (v. 7) | Fixed | RHSA-2016:0465 |
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2016-1908
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-mgwc-m57j-46w8
References
Patch 2
Advisory 7
- http://www.openssh.com/txt/release-7.2
- http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/linuxbulletinapr2016-2952096.html
- [oss-security] 20160115 Re: Qualys Security Advisory - Roaming through the OpenSSH client: CVE-2016-0777 and CVE-2016-0778
- RHSA-2016:0741
- GLSA-201612-18
- [debian-lts-announce] 20180910 [SECURITY] [DLA 1500-1] openssh security update
- RHSA-2016:0465
Sources
- CVE-2016-1908 · CVE Program
- CVE-2016-1908 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-mgwc-m57j-46w8 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2016-1908 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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