Every CVE Search/ Get API key

CVE-2016-5417

Memory leak in the __res_vinit function in the IPv6 name server management code in libresolv in...

7.5 HighFix available

Memory leak in the __res_vinit function in the IPv6 name server management code in libresolv in GNU C Library (aka glibc or libc6) before 2.24 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) by leveraging partial initialization of internal resolver data structures.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges needed
None
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

Exploit likelihood

3.36%Up 2.1 points since Feb 4, 2022
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

NVD Score used 7.5

Memory leak in the __res_vinit function in the IPv6 name server management code in libresolv in GNU C Library (aka glibc or libc6) before 2.24 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) by leveraging partial initialization of internal resolver data structures.

Record
CVE-2016-5417
CVSS 3.0
7.5 HighCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CVSS 2.0
5.0 MediumAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P
Weakness
CWE-399
Updated
2026-11-02
CVE List No score

Memory leak in the __res_vinit function in the IPv6 name server management code in libresolv in GNU C Library (aka glibc or libc6) before 2.24 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) by leveraging partial initialization of internal resolver data structures.

Record
CVE-2016-5417
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2016-6362 No score

Memory leak in the __res_vinit function in the IPv6 name server management code in libresolv in GNU C Library (aka glibc or libc6) before 2.24 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) by leveraging partial initialization of internal resolver data structures.

Record
EUVD-2016-6362
Updated
2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-qqpx-rhfx-8mgf 7.5

Memory leak in the __res_vinit function in the IPv6 name server management code in libresolv in...

Memory leak in the __res_vinit function in the IPv6 name server management code in libresolv in GNU C Library (aka glibc or libc6) before 2.24 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) by leveraging partial initialization of internal resolver data structures.

Record
GHSA-qqpx-rhfx-8mgf
CVSS 3.0
7.5 HighCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV 7.5

Memory leak in the __res_vinit function in the IPv6 name server management code in libresolv in GNU C Library (aka glibc or libc6) before 2.24 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) by leveraging partial initialization of internal resolver data structures.

Record
CVE-2016-5417
CVSS 3.0
7.5 HighCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2016-5417 7.5

Memory leak in the __res_vinit function in the IPv6 name server management code in libresolv in GNU C Library (aka glibc or libc6) before 2.24 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) by leveraging partial initialization of internal resolver data structures.

Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2016-5417
CVSS 3.0
7.5 HighCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
Show 4 moreShow less
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2016-5417 7.5

Memory leak in the __res_vinit function in the IPv6 name server management code in libresolv in GNU C Library (aka glibc or libc6) before 2.24 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) by leveraging partial initialization of internal resolver data structures.

Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2016-5417
CVSS 3.0
7.5 HighCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVMGASA-2017-0091 No score

Updated glibc packages fix security vulnerability

Florian Weimer discovered a NULL pointer dereference in the DNS resolver of the GNU C Library. An attacker could use this to cause a denial of service (CVE-2015-5180).

Tim Ruehsen discovered that the getaddrinfo() implementation in the GNU C Library did not properly track memory allocations. An attacker could use this to cause a denial of service (CVE-2016-5417).

Record
MGASA-2017-0091
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2024:10154-1 No score

glibc-2.24-2.3 on GA media

These are all security issues fixed in the glibc-2.24-2.3 package on the GA media of openSUSE Tumbleweed.

Record
openSUSE-SU-2024:10154-1
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVUSN-3239-1 No score

eglibc, glibc vulnerabilities

It was discovered that the GNU C Library incorrectly handled the strxfrm() function. An attacker could use this issue to cause a denial of service or possibly execute arbitrary code. This issue only affected Ubuntu 12.04 LTS and Ubuntu 14.04 LTS. (CVE-2015-8982)

It was discovered that an integer overflow existed in the _IO_wstr_overflow() function of the GNU C Library. An attacker could use this to cause a denial of service or possibly execute arbitrary code. This issue only affected Ubuntu 12.04 LTS and Ubuntu 14.04 LTS. (CVE-2015-8983)

It was discovered that the fnmatch() function in the GNU C Library did not properly handle certain malformed patterns. An attacker could use this to cause a denial of service. This issue only affected Ubuntu 12.04 LTS and Ubuntu 14.04 LTS. (CVE-2015-8984)

Alexander Cherepanov discovered a stack-based buffer overflow in the glob implementation of the GNU C Library. An attacker could use this to specially craft a directory layout and cause a denial of service. (CVE-2016-1234)

Florian Weimer discovered a NULL pointer dereference in the DNS resolver of the GNU C Library. An attacker could use this to cause a denial of service. (CVE-2015-5180)

Michael Petlan discovered an unbounded stack allocation in the getaddrinfo() function of the GNU C Library. An attacker could use this to cause a denial of service. (CVE-2016-3706)

Aldy Hernandez discovered an unbounded stack allocation in the sunrpc implementation in the GNU C Library. An attacker could use this to cause a denial of service. (CVE-2016-4429)

Tim Ruehsen discovered that the getaddrinfo() implementation in the GNU C Library did not properly track memory allocations. An attacker could use this to cause a denial of service. This issue only affected Ubuntu 16.04 LTS. (CVE-2016-5417)

Andreas Schwab discovered that the GNU C Library on ARM 32-bit platforms did not properly set up execution contexts. An attacker could use this to cause a denial of service. (CVE-2016-6323)

Record
USN-3239-1
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
glibc
Debian:12
before 2.22-4
2.22-4
glibc
Debian:13
before 2.22-4
2.22-4
glibc
Debian:14
before 2.22-4
2.22-4
glibc
Mageia:5
From an advisory covering 2 CVEs
before 2.20-24.mga5
2.20-24.mga5
glibc
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS
before 2.23-0ubuntu6, plus listed versions
2.21-0ubuntu42.21-0ubuntu52.21-0ubuntu62.23-0ubuntu12.23-0ubuntu22.23-0ubuntu32.23-0ubuntu42.23-0ubuntu5
2.23-0ubuntu6
eglibc
Ubuntu:14.04:LTS
From an advisory covering 9 CVEs
before 2.19-0ubuntu6.10, plus listed versions
2.17-93ubuntu42.18-0ubuntu12.18-0ubuntu22.18-0ubuntu42.18-0ubuntu5
Show 15 moreShow less
2.18-0ubuntu62.18-0ubuntu72.19-0ubuntu22.19-0ubuntu32.19-0ubuntu42.19-0ubuntu52.19-0ubuntu62.19-0ubuntu6.12.19-0ubuntu6.32.19-0ubuntu6.42.19-0ubuntu6.52.19-0ubuntu6.62.19-0ubuntu6.72.19-0ubuntu6.82.19-0ubuntu6.9
2.19-0ubuntu6.10
glibc
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS
From an advisory covering 9 CVEs
before 2.23-0ubuntu6, plus listed versions
2.21-0ubuntu42.21-0ubuntu52.21-0ubuntu62.23-0ubuntu12.23-0ubuntu22.23-0ubuntu32.23-0ubuntu42.23-0ubuntu5
2.23-0ubuntu6
glibc
openSUSE:Tumbleweed
From an advisory covering 31 CVEs
before 2.24-2.3
2.24-2.3

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
affected, facts
aliasesEUVD
first indexedCVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2016-5417 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.5) in Gnu Glibc, published February 16, 2017. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 3.36%, the 88th percentile. Fixed in glibc 2.22-4.

References

Show 47 moreShow less
MoveEnter Open