The crontab script in the ntp package before 1:4.2.6.p3+dfsg-1ubuntu3.11 on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, before 1:4.2.6.p5+dfsg-3ubuntu2.14.04.10 on Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, on Ubuntu Wily, and before 1:4.2.8p4+dfsg-3ubuntu5.3 on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS allows local users with access to the ntp account to write to arbitrary files and consequently gain privileges via vectors involving statistics directory cleanup.
CVE-2016-0727
HIGHNVD 7.87.8—Elevated
EchelonGraph scoreMEDIUM confidence
Score 7.8 from GitHub Security Advisory (severity: HIGH) published 2022-05-17. NVD baseline CVSS 7.8; sources differ by 0.0.
Triggered by: GitHub Security Advisory CVSS
Sources: epss, ghsa, nvd
7.8
EchelonGraph verdictPlan a fixSerious severity, but no confirmed exploitation yet.
- High severity, but no confirmed exploitation yet
CISA-KEV: Not listedEPSS: 1%CVSS: 7.8Exploit: NoneExposed: 0
A fix is available — apply it.
- CVSS v3
- 7.8
- EG Score
- 7.8(medium)
- EPSS
- 65.9%
- KEV
- Not listed
Published
April 14, 2017
Last Modified
May 13, 2026
References (12)
- secalert@redhathttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/141913/NTP-Privilege-Escalation.html
- secalert@redhathttp://www.securityfocus.com/bid/81552
- secalert@redhathttp://www.securitytracker.com/id/1034808
- secalert@redhathttp://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3096-1
- secalert@redhathttps://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ntp/+bug/1528050
- secalert@redhathttps://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1382369
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/141913/NTP-Privilege-Escalation.html
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/81552
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1034808
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3096-1
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ntp/+bug/1528050
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1382369
Patch Availability(1)
| Vendor / Ecosystem | Fixed in / Patch | Released | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ubuntu | ntpdate (1:4.2.8p4+dfsg-3ubuntu5.3) @ xenial | 2026-05-22 | ubuntu |
Patches are aggregated from vendor advisories (Red Hat, Microsoft, Cisco, GitHub) and package ecosystems (OSV, GHSA). Multiple rows for the same upstream release have been deduplicated.
All Vendor Advisories
(1)
Every vendor that published an advisory referencing this CVE — pulled from our cve_vendor_advisories aggregation. Click any row for the vendor's original advisory page.
Frequently asked(5)
What is CVE-2016-0727?
CVE-2016-0727 is a high vulnerability published on April 14, 2017. The crontab script in the ntp package before 1:4.2.6.p3+dfsg-1ubuntu3.11 on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, before 1:4.2.6.p5+dfsg-3ubuntu2.14.04.10 on Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, on Ubuntu Wily, and before 1:4.2.8p4+dfsg-3ubuntu5.3 on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS allows local users with access to the ntp account to write to…
When was CVE-2016-0727 disclosed?
CVE-2016-0727 was first published in the National Vulnerability Database on April 14, 2017, with the most recent update on May 13, 2026. EchelonGraph re-ingests CVE updates from NVD on a 2-hour cycle, so this page reflects the latest published state.
Is CVE-2016-0727 actively exploited?
CVE-2016-0727 is not currently on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. FIRST EPSS estimates a 65.9% percentile likelihood of exploitation in the next 30 days — higher percentiles indicate greater predicted risk.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2016-0727?
CVE-2016-0727 has a CVSS v3 base score of 7.8 (NVD).
How do I remediate CVE-2016-0727?
Patch to the fixed version published by the affected vendor. Where vendor advisories exist for CVE-2016-0727, EchelonGraph cross-links them in the Vendor Advisories panel below — those typically contain the canonical remediation steps, fixed version numbers, and any vendor-specific mitigations.
Dependency Blast Radius
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