CVE-2016-4557

HIGHNVD 7.87.8—
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
Weaponized
7.8EG
EchelonGraph verdictPatch this weekExploitation is likely or a public exploit exists.
  • Public exploit code is available (Metasploit, Exploit-DB (verified), epss top5pct, public exploit)
CISA-KEV: Not listedEPSS PROB: 10%CVSS: 7.8Exploit: Metasploit · Exploit-DB (verified) · epss top5pct · public exploitExposed services: Not assessed

A fix is available — apply it.

The replace_map_fd_with_map_ptr function in kernel/bpf/verifier.c in the Linux kernel before 4.5.5 does not properly maintain an fd data structure, which allows local users to gain privileges or cause a denial of service (use-after-free) via crafted BPF instructions that reference an incorrect file descriptor.

CVSS v3
7.8
EG Score
7.8HIGHmedium confidence
EG Risk
66
EG Risk 66/100CISA SSVC

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 computed
Severity78% × 45%
Exploitation65% × 40%
Automatability30% × 15%
CISA SSVC: Track at low or medium mission impact; Track* or Attend at high (mission-essential systems).
Action: A fix is available. Apply it within your standard update timelines at low or medium mission impact and sooner than that at high.
EPSS PROB
10%
EPSS %ILE
95th
KEV
Not listed

CISA SSVCTrack at low or medium mission impact; Track* or Attend at high (mission-essential systems).

A fix is available. Apply it within your standard update timelines at low or medium mission impact and sooner than that at high.

Exploitation public PoC (EG-KEV: weaponized) · Automatable unknown (not published for this CVE) · Technical impact partial (CVSS below 9.0). Mission impact is CISA's Mission & Well-being decision point, and only you can judge it: high means the affected system is essential to your organisation's mission, or its compromise could cause irreversible harm to people. CISA's decision table

Published

May 23, 2016

Last Modified

June 17, 2026

Advisory Details (8)

Auto-updated Sep 30, 2026
🔬 Proof of concept available. Patch available. Sources: redhat, github_commit.
generic

bpf: fix double-fdput in replace_map_fd_with_map_ptr() - kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git - Linux kernel source tree

http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=8358b02bf67d3a5d8a825070e1aa73f25fb2e4c7
generic🟡 PoC Available

Linux Kernel 4.4 (Ubuntu 16.04) - 'BPF' Local Privilege Escalation (Metasploit) - Linux local Exploit

https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40759/
github_commit

commit 8358b02bf67d (torvalds/linux)

Fix landed in torvalds/linux commit 8358b02bf67d — awaiting tagged release

https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/8358b02bf67d3a5d8a825070e1aa73f25fb2e4c7
redhatMentions a patch (unverified)

1334307 – (CVE-2016-4557) CVE-2016-4557 kernel: Use after free vulnerability via double fdput

Affected: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, 6, 7 and Red Hat Enterprise MRG 2.

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1334307
genericMentions a patch (unverified)

#823603 - linux: CVE-2016-4557: [Local root exploit] Use after free via double-fdput in bpf - Debian Bug report logs

https://bugs.debian.org/823603
generic
https://bugs.chromium.org/p/project-zero/issues/detail?id=808
generic

oss-security - CVE Requests: Linux: BPF flaws (one use-after-free / local root privilege escalation)

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/05/06/4
generic
http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v4.x/ChangeLog-4.5.5

Patch Availability(4)

Vendor / EcosystemFix (by version range) / PatchReleasedSource
ubuntulinux-image-extra-4.4.0-22-generic (4.4.0-22.39~14.04.1) @ trusty2026-05-22ubuntu
ubuntulinux-image-4.4.0-1010-raspi2 (4.4.0-1010.12) @ xenial2026-05-22ubuntu
ubuntulinux-image-4.4.0-1013-snapdragon (4.4.0-1013.14) @ xenial2026-05-22ubuntu
ubuntulinux-image-extra-4.4.0-22-generic (4.4.0-22.39) @ xenial2026-05-22ubuntu

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.

Affected Packages

(4 across 4 ecosystems)
Debian:11(1)
PackageVulnerable rangeFix by version rangeDependents
linux—
  • every version up to 4.5.3-1: fixed in 4.5.3-1
—
Debian:12(1)
PackageVulnerable rangeFix by version rangeDependents
linux—
  • every version up to 4.5.3-1: fixed in 4.5.3-1
—
Debian:13(1)
PackageVulnerable rangeFix by version rangeDependents
linux—
  • every version up to 4.5.3-1: fixed in 4.5.3-1
—
Debian:14(1)
PackageVulnerable rangeFix by version rangeDependents
linux—
  • every version up to 4.5.3-1: fixed in 4.5.3-1
—

All Vendor Advisories

(4)

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 5× in last 7d / 19× 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 145 total refreshes for this CVE.

  1. 2026-10-05 17:38 UTCEPSS rescore
  2. 2026-10-03 14:21 UTCEPSS rescore
  3. 2026-10-01 19:43 UTCEPSS rescore
  4. 2026-09-30 14:58 UTCEPSS rescore
  5. 2026-09-30 09:13 UTCEG score recompute
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  13. 2026-09-18 23:42 UTCOSV refresh
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  23. 2026-08-31 03:33 UTCOSV refresh
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  1. 2026-08-26 14:41 UTCEPSS rescore
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  10. 2026-08-14 11:46 UTCOSV refresh
  11. 2026-08-12 13:46 UTCEPSS rescore
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  22. 2026-07-29 23:37 UTCOSV refresh
  23. 2026-07-28 15:31 UTCEPSS rescore
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  26. 2026-07-23 14:14 UTCEPSS rescore
  27. 2026-07-23 01:23 UTCEG score recompute
  28. 2026-07-22 22:02 UTCEG score recompute
  29. 2026-07-22 14:04 UTCEPSS rescore
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  44. 2026-07-13 22:26 UTCEPSS rescore
  45. 2026-07-12 09:38 UTCOSV refresh
  46. 2026-07-12 05:43 UTCEPSS rescore
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  48. 2026-07-11 08:23 UTCEPSS rescore
  49. 2026-07-09 19:05 UTCEPSS rescore
  50. 2026-07-08 15:10 UTCEPSS rescore
  51. 2026-07-07 13:42 UTCEPSS rescore
  52. 2026-07-05 02:27 UTCEPSS rescore
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  54. 2026-07-01 15:02 UTCEPSS rescore
  55. 2026-06-30 23:19 UTCEPSS rescore
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  65. 2026-06-23 15:20 UTCOSV refresh
  66. 2026-06-22 14:23 UTCEPSS rescore
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Publicly available exploits

(3 references)

Working exploit code is in the public domain (1 Metasploit module) (2 Exploit-DB entries). Defenders should treat patch urgency accordingly — public PoCs typically lead to mass-exploitation within 24-72 hours.

  • Exploit-DBEDB-40759✓ verified
    First seen Nov 14, 2016

    Linux Kernel 4.4 (Ubuntu 16.04) - 'BPF' Local Privilege Escalation (Metasploit)

    Open source ↗
  • Exploit-DBEDB-39772✓ verified
    First seen May 4, 2016

    Linux Kernel 4.4.x (Ubuntu 16.04) - 'double-fdput()' bpf(BPF_PROG_LOAD) Privilege Escalation

    Open source ↗
  • Metasploitexploit/linux/local/bpf_priv_esc✓ verified
    First seen May 4, 2016

    Linux BPF doubleput UAF Privilege Escalation

    Open source ↗

Related CVEs(same vendor)

Frequently asked(5)

What is CVE-2016-4557?
CVE-2016-4557 is a high vulnerability published on May 23, 2016. The replacemapfdwithmap_ptr function in kernel/bpf/verifier.c in the Linux kernel before 4.5.5 does not properly maintain an fd data structure, which allows local users to gain privileges or cause a denial of service (use-after-free) via crafted BPF instructions that reference an incorrect file…
When was CVE-2016-4557 disclosed?
CVE-2016-4557 was first published on May 23, 2016, with the most recent update on June 17, 2026. EchelonGraph re-ingests CVE updates from NVD on a 2-hour cycle, so this page reflects the latest published state.
Is CVE-2016-4557 actively exploited?
CVE-2016-4557 is not currently on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. EchelonGraph's EG-KEV model classifies it as weaponized: a functional public exploit exists. FIRST EPSS estimates a 10% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days (95th percentile of EPSS-scored CVEs).
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2016-4557?
CVE-2016-4557 has a CVSS v3 base score of 7.8 (NVD).
How do I remediate CVE-2016-4557?
A fix for CVE-2016-4557 is available: update to the fixed version the vendor names in its advisory.

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