CVE-2016-5195
Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Description
Race condition in mm/gup.c in the Linux kernel 2.x through 4.x before 4.8.3 allows local users to gain privileges by leveraging incorrect handling of a copy-on-write (COW) feature to write to a read-only memory mapping, as exploited in the wild in October 2016, aka "Dirty COW."
Official description from the CVE record, published by Chrome. Copyright © 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation. See /security/cve/legal for the CVE license. View the record on cve.org
Key data
CVSS 3.1 High 7.0
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Attack vector: Local
The attacker needs local access to the system, or to trick a user into running something.
Attack complexity: High
The attack depends on conditions outside the attacker's control, so it takes preparation.
Privileges required: Low
A basic user account is needed.
User interaction: None
No action from any user is needed.
Scope: Unchanged
The impact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality impact: High
Serious or total effect on the secrecy of data.
Integrity impact: High
Serious or total effect on the trustworthiness of data.
Availability impact: High
Serious or total effect on availability.
| Metric | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Attack vector | Local | The attacker needs local access to the system, or to trick a user into running something. |
| Attack complexity | High | The attack depends on conditions outside the attacker's control, so it takes preparation. |
| Privileges required | Low | A basic user account is needed. |
| User interaction | None | No action from any user is needed. |
| Scope | Unchanged | The impact stays within the vulnerable component. |
| Confidentiality impact | High | Serious or total effect on the secrecy of data. |
| Integrity impact | High | Serious or total effect on the trustworthiness of data. |
| Availability impact | High | Serious or total effect on availability. |
CVSS is owned and managed by FIRST.Org, Inc. (FIRST) and is used by permission. Each CVSS score on this site is shown together with its vector string, as published in the CVE record by the source named next to it. Learn more at first.org/cvss.
EPSS
- Score
- 0.83524 (83.5% probability)
- Percentile
- 99.7%
- Scores of
- Nov 10, 2026
- Model
- v2026.06.15
CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities
- Name in the catalog
- Linux Kernel Race Condition Vulnerability
- Added to the catalog
- Mar 3, 2022
- Federal due date
- Mar 24, 2022
CISA assessment as of Jan 29, 2025
- Exploitation
- Recorded by CISA as active
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- total
Weakness (CWE)
- CWE-362Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization
References
- RHSA-2016:2107 (rhn.redhat.com)vendor-advisory
- 40616 (exploit-db.com)exploit
- RHSA-2017:0372 (access.redhat.com)vendor-advisory
- bto.bluecoat.com/security-advisory/sa134
- h20566.www2.hpe.com/portal/site/hpsc/public/kb/docDisplay?d…
- oracle.com/technetwork/security-advisory/cpujul2018-4258247…
- 40839 (exploit-db.com)exploit
- dirtycow.ninja
- 40847 (exploit-db.com)exploit
- RHSA-2016:2118 (rhn.redhat.com)vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2016:2128 (rhn.redhat.com)vendor-advisory
- source.android.com/security/bulletin/2016-12-01.html
- RHSA-2016:2120 (rhn.redhat.com)vendor-advisory
- [oss-security] 20161026 Re: CVE-2016-5195 "Dirty COW" Linux kernel privilege escalation vulnerability (openwall.com)mailing-list
- RHSA-2016:2133 (rhn.redhat.com)vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2016:2098 (rhn.redhat.com)vendor-advisory
- h20566.www2.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docLocale=en_US…
- VU#243144 (kb.cert.org)third-party-advisory
- bugzilla.suse.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1004418
- 1037078 (securitytracker.com)vdb-entry
- people.canonical.com/~ubuntu-security/cve/2016/CVE-2016-519…
- h20566.www2.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docLocale=en_US…
- security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20161025-0001
- 93793 (securityfocus.com)vdb-entry
- RHSA-2016:2127 (rhn.redhat.com)vendor-advisory
- security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2016-5195
- github.com/dirtycow/dirtycow.github.io/wiki/PoCs
- h20566.www2.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docLocale=en_US…
- github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/19be0eaffa3ac7d8eb6784ad9b…
- help.ecostruxureit.com/display/public/UADCO8x/StruxureWare+…
- github.com/dirtycow/dirtycow.github.io/wiki/VulnerabilityDe…
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1384344
- access.redhat.com/security/vulnerabilities/2706661
- RHSA-2016:2106 (rhn.redhat.com)vendor-advisory
- git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/com…
- 40611 (exploit-db.com)exploit
- access.redhat.com/security/cve/cve-2016-5195
- source.android.com/security/bulletin/2016-11-01.html
- h20566.www2.hpe.com/portal/site/hpsc/public/kb/docDisplay?d…
- RHSA-2016:2124 (rhn.redhat.com)vendor-advisory
- kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v4.x/ChangeLog-4.8.3
- RHSA-2016:2105 (rhn.redhat.com)vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2016:2126 (rhn.redhat.com)vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2016:2132 (rhn.redhat.com)vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2016:2110 (rhn.redhat.com)vendor-advisory
- h20566.www2.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docLocale=en_US…
- h20566.www2.hpe.com/portal/site/hpsc/public/kb/docDisplay?d…
- kc.mcafee.com/corporate/index?page=content&id=SB10176
- SUSE-SU-2016:2635 (lists.opensuse.org)vendor-advisory
- SUSE-SU-2016:2659 (lists.opensuse.org)vendor-advisory
- [oss-security] 20161027 CVE-2016-5195 test case (openwall.com)mailing-list
- USN-3106-2 (ubuntu.com)vendor-advisory
- openSUSE-SU-2016:2583 (lists.opensuse.org)vendor-advisory
- packetstormsecurity.com/files/139277/Kernel-Live-Patch-Secu…
- SUSE-SU-2016:2633 (lists.opensuse.org)vendor-advisory
- huawei.com/en/psirt/security-advisories/huawei-sa-20161207-…
- SUSE-SU-2016:2638 (lists.opensuse.org)vendor-advisory
- openSUSE-SU-2016:2584 (lists.opensuse.org)vendor-advisory
- packetstormsecurity.com/files/142151/Kernel-Live-Patch-Secu…
- SUSE-SU-2016:2658 (lists.opensuse.org)vendor-advisory
- SUSE-SU-2016:2631 (lists.opensuse.org)vendor-advisory
- USN-3106-3 (ubuntu.com)vendor-advisory
- h20566.www2.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docLocale=en_US…
- SUSE-SU-2016:2655 (lists.opensuse.org)vendor-advisory
- FEDORA-2016-c3558808cd (lists.fedoraproject.org)vendor-advisory
- 20170615 [security bulletin] HPESBGN03761 rev.1 - HPE Virtualization Performance Viewer (VPV)/ Cloud Optimizer using Linux, Remote Escalation of Privilege (securityfocus.com)mailing-list
- SUSE-SU-2016:2637 (lists.opensuse.org)vendor-advisory
- SUSE-SU-2016:2596 (lists.opensuse.org)vendor-advisory
- SUSE-SU-2016:2634 (lists.opensuse.org)vendor-advisory
- 20181107 Cisco TelePresence Video Communication Server Test Validation Script Issue (tools.cisco.com)vendor-advisory
- 20161026 Vulnerability in Linux Kernel Affecting Cisco Products: October 2016 (tools.cisco.com)vendor-advisory
- kb.juniper.net/InfoCenter/index?page=content&id=JSA10770
- kc.mcafee.com/corporate/index?page=content&id=SB10177
- SUSE-SU-2016:2657 (lists.opensuse.org)vendor-advisory
- SUSE-SU-2016:2614 (lists.opensuse.org)vendor-advisory
- USN-3105-2 (ubuntu.com)vendor-advisory
- USN-3107-1 (ubuntu.com)vendor-advisory
- kb.juniper.net/InfoCenter/index?page=content&id=JSA10774
- USN-3107-2 (ubuntu.com)vendor-advisory
- 20170331 [security bulletin] HPESBGN03722 rev.1 - HPE Operations Agent, Local Escalation of Privilege (securityfocus.com)mailing-list
- openSUSE-SU-2016:2625 (lists.opensuse.org)vendor-advisory
- USN-3106-1 (ubuntu.com)vendor-advisory
- USN-3106-4 (ubuntu.com)vendor-advisory
- [oss-security] 20161030 Re: CVE-2016-5195 test case (openwall.com)mailing-list
- packetstormsecurity.com/files/139923/Linux-Kernel-Dirty-COW…
- SUSE-SU-2016:2673 (lists.opensuse.org)vendor-advisory
- USN-3104-2 (ubuntu.com)vendor-advisory
- fortiguard.com/advisory/FG-IR-16-063
- kb.juniper.net/InfoCenter/index?page=content&id=JSA10807
- SUSE-SU-2016:2629 (lists.opensuse.org)vendor-advisory
- 20161020 [CVE-2016-5195] "Dirty COW" Linux privilege escalation vulnerability (securityfocus.com)mailing-list
- packetstormsecurity.com/files/139922/Linux-Kernel-Dirty-COW…
- SUSE-SU-2016:2632 (lists.opensuse.org)vendor-advisory
- 20170310 [security bulletin] HPESBGN03707 rev.1 - HPE ConvergedSystem 700 2.0 VMware Kit, Remote Increase of Privilege (securityfocus.com)mailing-list
- USN-3105-1 (ubuntu.com)vendor-advisory
- packetstormsecurity.com/files/139286/DirtyCow-Linux-Kernel-…
- SUSE-SU-2016:2630 (lists.opensuse.org)vendor-advisory
- FEDORA-2016-db4b75b352 (lists.fedoraproject.org)vendor-advisory
- FEDORA-2016-c8a0c7eece (lists.fedoraproject.org)vendor-advisory
- [oss-security] 20161103 Re: CVE-2016-5195 "Dirty COW" Linux kernel privilege escalation vulnerability (openwall.com)mailing-list
and 27 more in the record on cve.org
Timeline
- ID reserved
- Record published
- Added to CISA KEV
- Record last updated
Look up another CVE
About CubePath
Data from the CVE Program (MITRE), CISA KEV and FIRST EPSS. CVSS is owned by FIRST and used by permission. Not affiliated with or endorsed by MITRE, CISA or FIRST. Data as of Nov 10, 2026, 19:32 UTC. Sources and licenses