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
7.8
EchelonGraph verdictPlan a fixSerious severity, but no confirmed exploitation yet.
  • High severity, but no confirmed exploitation yet
CISA-KEV: Not listedEPSS: 10%CVSS: 7.8Exploit: NoneExposed: 0

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
7.8(medium)
EG Risk
66(Track)
EG Risk 66/100SSVC: 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 computed
Severity78% × 45%
Exploitation65% × 40%
Automatability30% × 15%
Action: Routine — remediate on your standard cadence.
EPSS
95.2%
KEV
Not listed

Published

May 23, 2016

Last Modified

May 6, 2026

References (18)

Patch Availability(4)

Vendor / EcosystemFixed in / 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.

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 12× in last 7d / 36× 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.

  1. 2026-07-23 14:14 UTCEPSS rescore
  2. 2026-07-23 01:23 UTCEG score recompute
  3. 2026-07-22 22:02 UTCEG score recompute
  4. 2026-07-22 14:04 UTCEPSS rescore
  5. 2026-07-21 15:21 UTCEPSS rescore
  6. 2026-07-21 15:21 UTCEPSS rescore
  7. 2026-07-20 17:03 UTCEPSS rescore
  8. 2026-07-19 14:27 UTCEPSS rescore
  9. 2026-07-19 02:26 UTCEPSS rescore
  10. 2026-07-19 02:26 UTCEPSS rescore
  11. 2026-07-18 10:00 UTCEPSS rescore
  12. 2026-07-18 10:00 UTCEPSS rescore
  13. 2026-07-16 16:59 UTCEPSS rescore
  14. 2026-07-16 16:59 UTCEPSS rescore
  15. 2026-07-15 16:54 UTCEPSS rescore
  16. 2026-07-15 16:54 UTCEPSS rescore
  17. 2026-07-15 01:56 UTCEPSS rescore
  18. 2026-07-15 01:56 UTCEPSS rescore
  19. 2026-07-13 22:26 UTCEPSS rescore
  20. 2026-07-12 09:38 UTCOSV refresh
  21. 2026-07-12 05:43 UTCEPSS rescore
  22. 2026-07-12 05:43 UTCEPSS rescore
  23. 2026-07-11 08:23 UTCEPSS rescore
  24. 2026-07-09 19:05 UTCEPSS rescore
  25. 2026-07-08 15:10 UTCEPSS rescore
Show 70 more
  1. 2026-07-07 13:42 UTCEPSS rescore
  2. 2026-07-05 02:27 UTCEPSS rescore
  3. 2026-07-04 06:28 UTCEPSS rescore
  4. 2026-07-01 15:02 UTCEPSS rescore
  5. 2026-06-30 23:19 UTCEPSS rescore
  6. 2026-06-29 14:03 UTCEPSS rescore
  7. 2026-06-28 04:53 UTCEPSS rescore
  8. 2026-06-27 03:05 UTCEPSS rescore
  9. 2026-06-27 03:05 UTCEPSS rescore
  10. 2026-06-25 13:47 UTCEPSS rescore
  11. 2026-06-25 13:47 UTCEPSS rescore
  12. 2026-06-24 14:02 UTCEPSS rescore
  13. 2026-06-24 14:02 UTCEPSS rescore
  14. 2026-06-23 21:30 UTCEPSS rescore
  15. 2026-06-23 15:20 UTCOSV refresh
  16. 2026-06-22 14:23 UTCEPSS rescore
  17. 2026-06-21 14:54 UTCEPSS rescore
  18. 2026-06-21 14:54 UTCEPSS rescore
  19. 2026-06-21 01:57 UTCEPSS rescore
  20. 2026-06-21 01:57 UTCEPSS rescore
  21. 2026-06-18 17:50 UTCEPSS rescore
  22. 2026-06-17 17:50 UTCEPSS rescore
  23. 2026-06-17 17:50 UTCEPSS rescore
  24. 2026-06-16 17:50 UTCEPSS rescore
  25. 2026-06-16 17:50 UTCEPSS rescore
  26. 2026-06-15 17:45 UTCEPSS rescore
  27. 2026-06-14 23:14 UTCEPSS rescore
  28. 2026-06-13 22:57 UTCEPSS rescore
  29. 2026-06-13 22:57 UTCEPSS rescore
  30. 2026-06-12 23:09 UTCEPSS rescore
  31. 2026-06-12 23:09 UTCEPSS rescore
  32. 2026-06-11 13:57 UTCEPSS rescore
  33. 2026-06-10 22:15 UTCEPSS rescore
  34. 2026-06-10 13:18 UTCEPSS rescore
  35. 2026-06-08 14:14 UTCEPSS rescore
  36. 2026-06-07 15:22 UTCEPSS rescore
  37. 2026-06-07 15:22 UTCEPSS rescore
  38. 2026-06-06 19:29 UTCOSV refresh
  39. 2026-06-06 13:45 UTCEPSS rescore
  40. 2026-06-05 22:44 UTCEPSS rescore
  41. 2026-06-04 13:10 UTCEPSS rescore
  42. 2026-06-04 13:10 UTCEPSS rescore
  43. 2026-06-02 20:10 UTCEPSS rescore
  44. 2026-06-01 13:49 UTCEPSS rescore
  45. 2026-06-01 13:49 UTCEPSS rescore
  46. 2026-05-31 22:28 UTCEPSS rescore
  47. 2026-05-31 22:28 UTCEPSS rescore
  48. 2026-05-31 00:14 UTCEPSS rescore
  49. 2026-05-29 13:41 UTCEPSS rescore
  50. 2026-05-28 13:42 UTCEPSS rescore
  51. 2026-05-28 13:42 UTCEPSS rescore
  52. 2026-05-27 13:38 UTCEPSS rescore
  53. 2026-05-27 13:38 UTCEPSS rescore
  54. 2026-05-26 13:42 UTCEPSS rescore
  55. 2026-05-26 07:16 UTCEPSS rescore
  56. 2026-05-24 16:43 UTCEPSS rescore
  57. 2026-05-22 21:15 UTCEPSS rescore
  58. 2026-05-22 21:15 UTCEPSS rescore
  59. 2026-05-22 20:14 UTCEG score recompute
  60. 2026-05-22 20:14 UTCVendor advisory
  61. 2026-05-22 20:14 UTCGHSA enrichment
  62. 2026-05-22 04:06 UTCOSV refresh
  63. 2026-05-20 22:37 UTCEPSS rescore
  64. 2026-05-20 22:37 UTCEPSS rescore
  65. 2026-05-20 22:37 UTCEPSS rescore
  66. 2026-05-20 11:21 UTCEPSS rescore
  67. 2026-05-20 11:21 UTCEPSS rescore
  68. 2026-05-20 11:21 UTCEPSS rescore
  69. 2026-05-18 21:30 UTCEPSS rescore
  70. 2026-05-18 21:30 UTCEPSS rescore

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 in the National Vulnerability Database on May 23, 2016, with the most recent update on May 6, 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. FIRST EPSS estimates a 95.2% percentile likelihood of exploitation in the next 30 days — higher percentiles indicate greater predicted risk.
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?
Patch to the fixed version published by the affected vendor. Where vendor advisories exist for CVE-2016-4557, 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.

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