CVE-2016-9951
An issue was discovered in Apport before 2.20.4. A malicious Apport crash file can contain a...
An issue was discovered in Apport before 2.20.4. A malicious Apport crash file can contain a restart command in RespawnCommand or ProcCmdline fields. This command will be executed if a user clicks the Relaunch button on the Apport prompt from the malicious crash file. The fix is to only show the Relaunch button on Apport crash files generated by local systems. The Relaunch button will be hidden when crash files are opened directly in Apport-GTK.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- Required
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
An issue was discovered in Apport before 2.20.4. A malicious Apport crash file can contain a restart command in RespawnCommand or ProcCmdline fields. This command will be executed if a user clicks the Relaunch button on the Apport prompt from the malicious crash file. The fix is to only show the Relaunch button on Apport crash files generated by local systems. The Relaunch button will be hidden when crash files are opened directly in Apport-GTK.
- Record
CVE-2016-9951- CVSS 3.0
- 6.5 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 4.3 Medium
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P - Weakness
- CWE-284
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List No score
An issue was discovered in Apport before 2.20.4. A malicious Apport crash file can contain a restart command in RespawnCommand or ProcCmdline fields. This command will be executed if a user clicks the Relaunch button on the Apport prompt from the malicious crash file. The fix is to only show the Relaunch button on Apport crash files generated by local systems. The Relaunch button will be hidden when crash files are opened directly in Apport-GTK.
- Record
CVE-2016-9951- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2016-10738 No score
An issue was discovered in Apport before 2.20.4. A malicious Apport crash file can contain a restart command in RespawnCommand or ProcCmdline fields. This command will be executed if a user clicks the Relaunch button on the Apport prompt from the malicious crash file. The fix is to only show the Relaunch button on Apport crash files generated by local systems. The Relaunch button will be hidden when crash files are opened directly in Apport-GTK.
- Record
EUVD-2016-10738- Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-666r-6mfg-455c
An issue was discovered in Apport before 2.20.4. A malicious Apport crash file can contain a...
An issue was discovered in Apport before 2.20.4. A malicious Apport crash file can contain a restart command in RespawnCommand or ProcCmdline fields. This command will be executed if a user clicks the Relaunch button on the Apport prompt from the malicious crash file. The fix is to only show the Relaunch button on Apport crash files generated by local systems. The Relaunch button will be hidden when crash files are opened directly in Apport-GTK.
- Record
GHSA-666r-6mfg-455c- CVSS 3.0
- 6.5 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-284
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2016-9951
An issue was discovered in Apport before 2.20.4. A malicious Apport crash file can contain a restart command in RespawnCommand or ProcCmdline fields. This command will be executed if a user clicks the Relaunch button on the Apport prompt from the malicious crash file. The fix is to only show the Relaunch button on Apport crash files generated by local systems. The Relaunch button will be hidden when crash files are opened directly in Apport-GTK.
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2016-9951- CVSS 3.0
- 6.5 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUSN-3157-1 No score
apport vulnerabilities
Donncha O Cearbhaill discovered that the crash file parser in Apport improperly treated the CrashDB field as python code. An attacker could use this to convince a user to open a maliciously crafted crash file and execute arbitrary code with the privileges of that user. This issue only affected Ubuntu 14.04 LTS and Ubuntu 16.04 LTS. (CVE-2016-9949)
Donncha O Cearbhaill discovered that Apport did not properly sanitize the Package and SourcePackage fields in crash files before processing package specific hooks. An attacker could use this to convince a user to open a maliciously crafted crash file and execute arbitrary code with the privileges of that user. (CVE-2016-9950)
Donncha O Cearbhaill discovered that Apport would offer to restart an application based on the contents of the RespawnCommand or ProcCmdline fields in a crash file. An attacker could use this to convince a user to open a maliciously crafted crash file and execute arbitrary code with the privileges of that user. (CVE-2016-9951)
- Record
USN-3157-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
apportUbuntu:14.04:LTS |
before 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.23, plus listed versions 2.12.5-0ubuntu22.12.6-0ubuntu12.12.7-0ubuntu12.12.7-0ubuntu22.12.7-0ubuntu3 Show 31 moreShow less2.12.7-0ubuntu62.13.1-0ubuntu12.13.1-0ubuntu22.13.2-0ubuntu22.13.2-0ubuntu32.13.2-0ubuntu42.13.2-0ubuntu52.13.3-0ubuntu12.14-0ubuntu12.14.1-0ubuntu12.14.1-0ubuntu22.14.1-0ubuntu32.14.1-0ubuntu3.12.14.1-0ubuntu3.22.14.1-0ubuntu3.32.14.1-0ubuntu3.42.14.1-0ubuntu3.52.14.1-0ubuntu3.62.14.1-0ubuntu3.72.14.1-0ubuntu3.82.14.1-0ubuntu3.92.14.1-0ubuntu3.102.14.1-0ubuntu3.112.14.1-0ubuntu3.122.14.1-0ubuntu3.132.14.1-0ubuntu3.152.14.1-0ubuntu3.162.14.1-0ubuntu3.182.14.1-0ubuntu3.192.14.1-0ubuntu3.202.14.1-0ubuntu3.21 |
2.14.1-0ubuntu3.23 |
apportUbuntu:16.04:LTS |
before 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.4, plus listed versions 2.19.1-0ubuntu32.19.2-0ubuntu12.19.2-0ubuntu22.19.2-0ubuntu32.19.2-0ubuntu4 Show 15 moreShow less2.19.2-0ubuntu52.19.2-0ubuntu62.19.2-0ubuntu82.19.2-0ubuntu92.19.3-0ubuntu12.19.3-0ubuntu22.19.3-0ubuntu32.19.4-0ubuntu12.19.4-0ubuntu22.20-0ubuntu22.20-0ubuntu32.20.1-0ubuntu12.20.1-0ubuntu22.20.1-0ubuntu2.12.20.1-0ubuntu2.2 |
2.20.1-0ubuntu2.4 |
apportUbuntu:14.04:LTS From an advisory covering 3 CVEs |
before 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.23, plus listed versions 2.12.5-0ubuntu22.12.6-0ubuntu12.12.7-0ubuntu12.12.7-0ubuntu22.12.7-0ubuntu3 Show 31 moreShow less2.12.7-0ubuntu62.13.1-0ubuntu12.13.1-0ubuntu22.13.2-0ubuntu22.13.2-0ubuntu32.13.2-0ubuntu42.13.2-0ubuntu52.13.3-0ubuntu12.14-0ubuntu12.14.1-0ubuntu12.14.1-0ubuntu22.14.1-0ubuntu32.14.1-0ubuntu3.12.14.1-0ubuntu3.22.14.1-0ubuntu3.32.14.1-0ubuntu3.42.14.1-0ubuntu3.52.14.1-0ubuntu3.62.14.1-0ubuntu3.72.14.1-0ubuntu3.82.14.1-0ubuntu3.92.14.1-0ubuntu3.102.14.1-0ubuntu3.112.14.1-0ubuntu3.122.14.1-0ubuntu3.132.14.1-0ubuntu3.152.14.1-0ubuntu3.162.14.1-0ubuntu3.182.14.1-0ubuntu3.192.14.1-0ubuntu3.202.14.1-0ubuntu3.21 |
2.14.1-0ubuntu3.23 |
apportUbuntu:16.04:LTS From an advisory covering 3 CVEs |
before 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.4, plus listed versions 2.19.1-0ubuntu32.19.2-0ubuntu12.19.2-0ubuntu22.19.2-0ubuntu32.19.2-0ubuntu4 Show 15 moreShow less2.19.2-0ubuntu52.19.2-0ubuntu62.19.2-0ubuntu82.19.2-0ubuntu92.19.3-0ubuntu12.19.3-0ubuntu22.19.3-0ubuntu32.19.4-0ubuntu12.19.4-0ubuntu22.20-0ubuntu22.20-0ubuntu32.20.1-0ubuntu12.20.1-0ubuntu22.20.1-0ubuntu2.12.20.1-0ubuntu2.2 |
2.20.1-0ubuntu2.4 |
Public exploits
Links only. Every CVE stores no exploit code.
| Source | Link | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Exploit-DB | Apport 2.x (Ubuntu Desktop 12.10 < 16.04) - Local Code Execution | 2016-12-14 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| affected, facts | ||
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, Exploit-DB, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2016-9951 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 6.5) in Apport Project Apport, published December 14, 2016. Public exploit code exists. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 6.67%, the 93rd percentile. Fixed in apport 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.23.