CVE-2016-9950
An issue was discovered in Apport before 2.20.4. There is a path traversal issue in the Apport...
An issue was discovered in Apport before 2.20.4. There is a path traversal issue in the Apport crash file "Package" and "SourcePackage" fields. These fields are used to build a path to the package specific hook files in the /usr/share/apport/package-hooks/ directory. An attacker can exploit this path traversal to execute arbitrary Python files from the local system.
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
What each source reports
NVD Score used
7.8
An issue was discovered in Apport before 2.20.4. There is a path traversal issue in the Apport crash file "Package" and "SourcePackage" fields. These fields are used to build a path to the package specific hook files in the /usr/share/apport/package-hooks/ directory. An attacker can exploit this path traversal to execute arbitrary Python files from the local system.
- Record
CVE-2016-9950- CVSS 3.0
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 9.3 High
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C - Weakness
- CWE-22
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List No score
An issue was discovered in Apport before 2.20.4. There is a path traversal issue in the Apport crash file "Package" and "SourcePackage" fields. These fields are used to build a path to the package specific hook files in the /usr/share/apport/package-hooks/ directory. An attacker can exploit this path traversal to execute arbitrary Python files from the local system.
- Record
CVE-2016-9950- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2016-10737 No score
An issue was discovered in Apport before 2.20.4. There is a path traversal issue in the Apport crash file "Package" and "SourcePackage" fields. These fields are used to build a path to the package specific hook files in the /usr/share/apport/package-hooks/ directory. An attacker can exploit this path traversal to execute arbitrary Python files from the local system.
- Record
EUVD-2016-10737- Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-rgrg-wm7f-3pp8
7.8
An issue was discovered in Apport before 2.20.4. There is a path traversal issue in the Apport...
An issue was discovered in Apport before 2.20.4. There is a path traversal issue in the Apport crash file "Package" and "SourcePackage" fields. These fields are used to build a path to the package specific hook files in the /usr/share/apport/package-hooks/ directory. An attacker can exploit this path traversal to execute arbitrary Python files from the local system.
- Record
GHSA-rgrg-wm7f-3pp8- CVSS 3.0
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-22
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2016-9950
7.8
An issue was discovered in Apport before 2.20.4. There is a path traversal issue in the Apport crash file "Package" and "SourcePackage" fields. These fields are used to build a path to the package specific hook files in the /usr/share/apport/package-hooks/ directory. An attacker can exploit this path traversal to execute arbitrary Python files from the local system.
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2016-9950- CVSS 3.0
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/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-2016-9950 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.8) in Apport Project Apport, published December 14, 2016. Public exploit code exists. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 6.55%, the 93rd percentile. Fixed in apport 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.23.