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CVE-2016-4477

wpa_supplicant 0.4.0 through 2.5 does not reject \n and \r characters in passphrase parameters,...

7.8 HighFix available

wpa_supplicant 0.4.0 through 2.5 does not reject \n and \r characters in passphrase parameters, which allows local users to trigger arbitrary library loading and consequently gain privileges, or cause a denial of service (daemon outage), via a crafted (1) SET, (2) SET_CRED, or (3) SET_NETWORK command.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges needed
None
User interaction
Required

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Exploit likelihood

0.26%Down 0.7 points since Feb 4, 2022
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

NVD Score used 7.8

wpa_supplicant 0.4.0 through 2.5 does not reject \n and \r characters in passphrase parameters, which allows local users to trigger arbitrary library loading and consequently gain privileges, or cause a denial of service (daemon outage), via a crafted (1) SET, (2) SET_CRED, or (3) SET_NETWORK command.

Record
CVE-2016-4477
CVSS 3.0
7.8 HighCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS 2.0
4.4 MediumAV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
Weakness
CWE-19
Updated
2026-11-02
CVE List No score

wpa_supplicant 0.4.0 through 2.5 does not reject \n and \r characters in passphrase parameters, which allows local users to trigger arbitrary library loading and consequently gain privileges, or cause a denial of service (daemon outage), via a crafted (1) SET, (2) SET_CRED, or (3) SET_NETWORK command.

Record
CVE-2016-4477
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2016-5464 No score

wpa_supplicant 0.4.0 through 2.5 does not reject \n and \r characters in passphrase parameters, which allows local users to trigger arbitrary library loading and consequently gain privileges, or cause a denial of service (daemon outage), via a crafted (1) SET, (2) SET_CRED, or (3) SET_NETWORK command.

Record
EUVD-2016-5464
Updated
2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-3wj5-xm6v-9hmq 7.8

wpa_supplicant 0.4.0 through 2.5 does not reject \n and \r characters in passphrase parameters,...

wpa_supplicant 0.4.0 through 2.5 does not reject \n and \r characters in passphrase parameters, which allows local users to trigger arbitrary library loading and consequently gain privileges, or cause a denial of service (daemon outage), via a crafted (1) SET, (2) SET_CRED, or (3) SET_NETWORK command.

Record
GHSA-3wj5-xm6v-9hmq
CVSS 3.0
7.8 HighCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVALPINE-CVE-2016-4477 7.8

wpa_supplicant 0.4.0 through 2.5 does not reject \n and \r characters in passphrase parameters, which allows local users to trigger arbitrary library loading and consequently gain privileges, or cause a denial of service (daemon outage), via a crafted (1) SET, (2) SET_CRED, or (3) SET_NETWORK command.

Record
ALPINE-CVE-2016-4477
CVSS 3.0
7.8 HighCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV 7.8

wpa_supplicant 0.4.0 through 2.5 does not reject \n and \r characters in passphrase parameters, which allows local users to trigger arbitrary library loading and consequently gain privileges, or cause a denial of service (daemon outage), via a crafted (1) SET, (2) SET_CRED, or (3) SET_NETWORK command.

Record
CVE-2016-4477
CVSS 3.0
7.8 HighCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
Show 5 moreShow less
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2016-4477 7.8

wpa_supplicant 0.4.0 through 2.5 does not reject \n and \r characters in passphrase parameters, which allows local users to trigger arbitrary library loading and consequently gain privileges, or cause a denial of service (daemon outage), via a crafted (1) SET, (2) SET_CRED, or (3) SET_NETWORK command.

Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2016-4477
CVSS 3.0
7.8 HighCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2016-4477 7.8

wpa_supplicant 0.4.0 through 2.5 does not reject \n and \r characters in passphrase parameters, which allows local users to trigger arbitrary library loading and consequently gain privileges, or cause a denial of service (daemon outage), via a crafted (1) SET, (2) SET_CRED, or (3) SET_NETWORK command.

Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2016-4477
CVSS 3.0
7.8 HighCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVMGASA-2016-0199 No score

Updated wpa_supplicant packages fix security vulnerabilities

Updated wpa_suppliant packages fix security vulnerabilities:

A vulnerability was found in how wpa_supplicant writes the configuration file update for the WPA/WPA2 passphrase parameter. If this parameter has been updated to include control characters either through a WPS operation (CVE-2016-4476) or through local configuration change over the wpa_supplicant control interface (CVE-2016-4477), the resulting configuration file may prevent the wpa_supplicant from starting when the updated file is used. In addition, it may be possible to load a local library file and execute code from there with the same privileges under which the wpa_supplicant process runs.

Record
MGASA-2016-0199
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2024:10499-1 No score

wpa_supplicant-2.6-1.1 on GA media

These are all security issues fixed in the wpa_supplicant-2.6-1.1 package on the GA media of openSUSE Tumbleweed.

Record
openSUSE-SU-2024:10499-1
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVUSN-3455-1 No score

wpa vulnerabilities

Mathy Vanhoef discovered that wpa_supplicant and hostapd incorrectly handled WPA2. A remote attacker could use this issue with key reinstallation attacks to obtain sensitive information. (CVE-2017-13077, CVE-2017-13078, CVE-2017-13079, CVE-2017-13080, CVE-2017-13081, CVE-2017-13082, CVE-2017-13086, CVE-2017-13087, CVE-2017-13088)

Imre Rad discovered that wpa_supplicant and hostapd incorrectly handled invalid characters in passphrase parameters. A remote attacker could use this issue to cause a denial of service. (CVE-2016-4476)

Imre Rad discovered that wpa_supplicant and hostapd incorrectly handled invalid characters in passphrase parameters. A local attacker could use this issue to cause a denial of service, or possibly execute arbitrary code. (CVE-2016-4477)

Record
USN-3455-1
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
wpa_supplicant
Alpine:v3.4
 before 2.5-r3
2.5-r3
wpa
Debian:12
 before 2.3-2.4
2.3-2.4
wpa
Debian:13
 before 2.3-2.4
2.3-2.4
wpa
Debian:14
 before 2.3-2.4
2.3-2.4
wpa
Debian:7
From an advisory covering 2 CVEs
 before 1.0-3+deb7u4, plus listed versions
1.0-31.0-3+deb7u11.0-3+deb7u21.0-3+deb7u3
1.0-3+deb7u4
wpa_supplicant
Mageia:5
From an advisory covering 2 CVEs
 before 2.3-3.1.mga5
2.3-3.1.mga5
wpa
Ubuntu:14.04:LTS
 before 2.1-0ubuntu1.5, plus listed versions
1.0-3ubuntu21.0-3ubuntu31.0-3ubuntu42.1-0ubuntu12.1-0ubuntu1.12.1-0ubuntu1.22.1-0ubuntu1.32.1-0ubuntu1.4
2.1-0ubuntu1.5
wpa
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS
 before 2.4-0ubuntu6.2, plus listed versions
2.4-0ubuntu32.4-0ubuntu42.4-0ubuntu52.4-0ubuntu6
2.4-0ubuntu6.2
wpa
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS
 before 2.4-0ubuntu10
2.4-0ubuntu10
wpa
Ubuntu:14.04:LTS
From an advisory covering 11 CVEs
 before 2.1-0ubuntu1.5, plus listed versions
1.0-3ubuntu21.0-3ubuntu31.0-3ubuntu42.1-0ubuntu12.1-0ubuntu1.12.1-0ubuntu1.22.1-0ubuntu1.32.1-0ubuntu1.4
2.1-0ubuntu1.5
wpa
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS
From an advisory covering 11 CVEs
 before 2.4-0ubuntu6.2, plus listed versions
2.4-0ubuntu32.4-0ubuntu42.4-0ubuntu52.4-0ubuntu6
2.4-0ubuntu6.2
wpa_supplicant
openSUSE:Tumbleweed
From an advisory covering 13 CVEs
 before 2.6-1.1
2.6-1.1

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-2016-4477 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.8) in Google Android, published May 9, 2016. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.26%, the 17th percentile. Fixed in wpa_supplicant 2.5-r3.

References

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