The aufs module for the Linux kernel 3.x and 4.x does not properly restrict the mount namespace, which allows local users to gain privileges by mounting an aufs filesystem on top of a FUSE filesystem, and then executing a crafted setuid program.
CVE-2016-2853
Score 7.8 from GitHub Security Advisory (severity: HIGH) published 2022-05-13. NVD baseline CVSS 7.8; sources differ by 0.0.
- High severity, but no confirmed exploitation yet
A fix is available — apply it.
- CVSS v3
- 7.8
- EG Score
- 7.8(medium)
- EG Risk
- 56(Track)EG Risk 56/100SSVC: Track
EG Risk is EchelonGraph's 0–100 priority score: it fuses intrinsic severity with real-world exploitation and automatability so you can rank equal-severity CVEs and fix the most dangerous first. Higher = act sooner. Distinct from the 0–10 EG Score (severity).
How it’s computedSeverity78% × 45%Exploitation40% × 40%Automatability30% × 15%Action: Routine — remediate on your standard cadence. - EPSS PROB
- 1%
- EPSS %ILE
- 56%
- KEV
- Not listed
Published
May 2, 2016
Last Modified
June 17, 2026
References (10)
- cve@mitrehttp://www.halfdog.net/Security/2016/AufsPrivilegeEscalationInUserNamespaces/
- cve@mitrehttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/02/24/9
- cve@mitrehttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/10/18/1
- cve@mitrehttp://www.securityfocus.com/bid/96839
- cve@mitrehttps://sourceforge.net/p/aufs/mailman/message/34864744/
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108http://www.halfdog.net/Security/2016/AufsPrivilegeEscalationInUserNamespaces/
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/02/24/9
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/10/18/1
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/96839
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108https://sourceforge.net/p/aufs/mailman/message/34864744/
Patch Availability(1)
| Vendor / Ecosystem | Fixed in / Patch | Released | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ubuntu | linux-image-lowlatency (4.4.0.222.229) @ 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.
Weakness Classification(1)
MITRE Common Weakness Enumeration — the root-cause categories this CVE belongs to.
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.
Data Freshness Timeline
(refreshed 9× in last 7d / 40× in last 30d)
Each row is a source pipeline that fetched or updated this CVE on that date, with what changed. For example, "NVD update" means NVD published or revised its analysis for this CVE; "MITRE cvelistV5" means we ingested or refreshed it from the CNA feed. Most recent first.
Showing the most recent 100 of 107 total refreshes for this CVE.
- 2026-07-26 14:50 UTCEPSS rescore
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- 2026-07-23 01:22 UTCEG score recompute
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- 2026-06-06 20:29 UTCOSV refresh
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- 2026-05-22 20:31 UTCVendor advisory
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- 2026-05-21 22:40 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-05-20 22:37 UTCEPSS rescore
Publicly available exploits
(1 reference)Working exploit code is in the public domain (1 Exploit-DB entry). Defenders should treat patch urgency accordingly — public PoCs typically lead to mass-exploitation within 24-72 hours.
- Exploit-DBEDB-41761First seen Feb 19, 2016
AUFS (Ubuntu 15.10) - 'allow_userns' Fuse/Xattr User Namespaces Privilege Escalation
Open source ↗
Frequently asked(5)
What is CVE-2016-2853?
When was CVE-2016-2853 disclosed?
Is CVE-2016-2853 actively exploited?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2016-2853?
How do I remediate CVE-2016-2853?
Dependency Blast Radius
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