CVE-2016-7407
The dropbearconvert command in Dropbear SSH before 2016.74 allows attackers to execute arbitrary...
CVE-2016-7407 is a critical vulnerability (CVSS 9.8) in Dropbear Ssh Project Ssh, published September 16, 2016. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 5.80%, the 93rd percentile. Fixed in dropbear 2016.74-1.
The dropbearconvert command in Dropbear SSH before 2016.74 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted OpenSSH key file.
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
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
The dropbearconvert command in Dropbear SSH before 2016.74 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted OpenSSH key file.
- Record
CVE-2016-7407- CVSS 3.0
- 9.8 Critical
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 10.0 High
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C - Weakness
- CWE-20
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List No score
The dropbearconvert command in Dropbear SSH before 2016.74 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted OpenSSH key file.
- Record
CVE-2016-7407- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2016-8260 No score
The dropbearconvert command in Dropbear SSH before 2016.74 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted OpenSSH key file.
- Record
EUVD-2016-8260- Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-44f9-2mmc-8wmx
The dropbearconvert command in Dropbear SSH before 2016.74 allows attackers to execute arbitrary...
The dropbearconvert command in Dropbear SSH before 2016.74 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted OpenSSH key file.
- Record
GHSA-44f9-2mmc-8wmx- CVSS 3.0
- 9.8 Critical
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-20
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
The dropbearconvert command in Dropbear SSH before 2016.74 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted OpenSSH key file.
- Record
CVE-2016-7407- CVSS 3.0
- 9.8 Critical
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2016-7407
The dropbearconvert command in Dropbear SSH before 2016.74 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted OpenSSH key file.
- Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2016-7407- CVSS 3.0
- 9.8 Critical
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2016-7407
The dropbearconvert command in Dropbear SSH before 2016.74 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted OpenSSH key file.
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2016-7407- CVSS 3.0
- 9.8 Critical
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVMGASA-2016-0301 No score
Updated dropbear packages fix security vulnerability
Message printout was vulnerable to format string injection.
If specific usernames including "%" symbols can be created on a system (validated by getpwnam()) then an attacker could run arbitrary code as root when connecting to Dropbear server. Also, a dbclient user who can control username or host arguments could potentially run arbitrary code as the dbclient user. This could be a problem if scripts or webpages pass untrusted input to the dbclient program (CVE-2016-7406).
dropbearconvert import of OpenSSH keys could run arbitrary code as the local dropbearconvert user when parsing malicious key files (CVE-2016-7607).
dbclient could run arbitrary code as the local dbclient user if particular -m or -c arguments are provided. This could be an issue where dbclient is used in scripts (CVE-2016-7408).
- Record
MGASA-2016-0301- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
dropbearDebian:12 |
before 2016.74-1 | 2016.74-1 |
dropbearDebian:13 |
before 2016.74-1 | 2016.74-1 |
dropbearDebian:14 |
before 2016.74-1 | 2016.74-1 |
dropbearDebian:7 |
before 2012.55-1.3+deb7u1, plus listed versions 2012.55-1.3 |
2012.55-1.3+deb7u1 |
dropbearMageia:5 |
before 2014.66-1.2.mga5 | 2014.66-1.2.mga5 |
dropbearUbuntu:16.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 2014.65-1ubuntu22015.68-12015.70-12015.71-12016.72-1 |
None known |
History
| When | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-11-03 | aliases | EUVD |
| 2026-11-02 | created | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
References
security.gentoo.org/glsa/201702-23
secure.ucc.asn.au/hg/dropbear/rev/34e6127ef02e
openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/09/15/2
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1376353
securityfocus.com/bid/92972
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-7407
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github.com/advisories/GHSA-44f9-2mmc-8wmx
security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2016-7407
advisories.mageia.org/MGASA-2016-0301.html
bugs.mageia.org/show_bug.cgi?id=19074
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2016-7407
cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-7407