CVE-2016-5195

high

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."

References

https://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/243144

https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40847/

https://www.arista.com/en/support/advisories-notices/security-advisories/1753-security-advisory-0026

https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20181107-vcsd

https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/2016-12-01.html

https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/2016-11-01.html

https://security.paloaltonetworks.com/CVE-2016-5195

https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20161025-0001/

https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2016-5195

https://people.canonical.com/~ubuntu-security/cve/2016/CVE-2016-5195.html

https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/W3APRVDVPDBXLH4DC5UKZVCR742MJIM3/

https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/NWMDLBWMGZKFHMRJ7QUQVCERP5QHDB6W/

https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/E7M62SRP6CZLJ4ZXCRZKV4WPLQBSR7DT/

https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/portal/site/hpsc/public/kb/docDisplay?docId=emr_na-c05352241

https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/portal/site/hpsc/public/kb/docDisplay?docId=emr_na-c05347541

https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/portal/site/hpsc/public/kb/docDisplay?docId=emr_na-c05341463

https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docLocale=en_US&docId=emr_na-hpesbgn03761en_us

https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docLocale=en_US&docId=emr_na-hpesbgn03742en_us

https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docLocale=en_US&docId=emr_na-hpesbgn03722en_us

https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docLocale=en_US&docId=emr_na-hpesbgn03707en_us

https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docLocale=en_US&docId=emr_na-c05352241

https://github.com/dirtycow/dirtycow.github.io/wiki/PoCs

https://dirtycow.ninja

https://bto.bluecoat.com/security-advisory/sa134

https://access.redhat.com/security/vulnerabilities/2706661

https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/cve-2016-5195

https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:0372

http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3107-2

http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3107-1

http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3106-4

http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3106-3

http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3106-2

http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3106-1

http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3105-2

http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3105-1

http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3104-2

http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3104-1

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/security-advisory/cpujul2018-4258247.html

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2022/08/15/1

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2022/08/09/4

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2022/08/08/8

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2022/08/08/7

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2022/08/08/2

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2022/08/08/1

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2022/03/07/1

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/11/03/7

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/10/30/1

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/10/27/13

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/10/26/7

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/10/21/1

http://www.huawei.com/en/psirt/security-advisories/huawei-sa-20161207-01-dirtycow-en

http://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3696

http://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20161026-linux

http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2024/Aug/35

http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2133.html

http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2132.html

http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2128.html

http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2127.html

http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2126.html

http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2124.html

http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2120.html

http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2118.html

http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2110.html

https://www.darkreading.com/cyberattacks-data-breaches/cisa-attackers-breach-federal-agency-critical-geoserver-flaw

https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/cybersecurity-advisories/aa25-266a

https://thehackernews.com/2025/08/chinese-hackers-murky-genesis-and.html

https://securityaffairs.com/180737/apt/nation-state-group-cl-sta-0969-targeted-southeast-asian-telecoms-in-2024.html

https://thehackernews.com/2025/08/cl-sta-0969-installs-covert-malware-in.html

https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/infiltration-of-global-telecom-networks/

https://thehackernews.com/2025/04/outlaw-group-uses-ssh-brute-force-to.html

https://thehackernews.com/2024/06/redjuliett-cyber-espionage-campaign.html

https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40839/

https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40616/

https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40611/

https://isc.sans.edu/diary/rss/32968

https://xint.io/blog/copy-fail-linux-distributions#the-fix-6

https://xint.io/blog/copy-fail-linux-distributions

https://www.tenable.com/blog/fragnesia-cve-2026-46300-faq-about-new-linux-kernel-xfrm-esp-in-tcp-priv-esc

https://www.tenable.com/blog/dirty-frag-cve-2026-43284-cve-2026-43500-frequently-asked-questions-linux-kernel-lpe

https://www.tenable.com/blog/copy-fail-cve-2026-31431-frequently-asked-questions-about-linux-kernel-privilege-escalation

https://www.tenable.com/blog/drupalgeddon-attacks-continue-on-sites-missing-security-updates-cve-2018-7600-cve-2018-7602

https://github.com/Minime794/CVE-2016-5195

https://github.com/ndouglas-cloudsmith/CVE-2026-53359

https://github.com/endgtryna/lenovo-a1000g-mt8317-A412_01_09_130907-kernel-3.4.0-root-cve-2016-5195

https://github.com/OleksandrBlack/cve_centos

https://github.com/V0IDNETWORK/CVE-2026-46331

https://github.com/Quaerendir/linux-pagecache-cve-audit

https://github.com/Quaerendir/cve-2026-46331-audit

https://github.com/GonzaBot/kernel-exploit-dirtycow

https://github.com/SaanviShah30/IoT-Firmware-Reverse-Engineering

https://github.com/Maxime288/CVE-2026-31431-Copy-Fail-R-pertoire-de-Pr-vention

https://github.com/maur0amaya/Escalamiento-de-Privilegios-usando-el-Kernel-Exploit-Dirty-Cow

https://github.com/Sebastian294/cve-2026-31431

https://github.com/finwo/cve-toolkit

https://github.com/abdelkabirouadoukou/CVE-2026-31431-Analysis-and-Fix

https://github.com/darioomatos/cve-2026-31431-copyfail

https://github.com/Rat5ak/CVE-2026-31431-CopyFail-static-ELF--POC

https://github.com/mgiay/CVE_2026_31431_FIXED

https://github.com/krish-foren6/CVE-2026-31431-Report-Copy-fail-Vulnerability-

https://github.com/TheMursalin/CVE-2026-31431

https://github.com/TheMalwareGuardian/CVE-2026-31431

https://github.com/mrjoker-web/ShadowCVE

https://github.com/strikoder/LinEnum-ng

https://github.com/ndouglas-cloudsmith/ExploitPwned

https://github.com/theo543/OSDS_Paper_CVE-2016-5195

https://github.com/elhaddadalaa788-alt/kernel-exploit-dirtycow-project-subm

https://github.com/ramahmdr/dirtycow

https://github.com/iliasszrq/Scanner-Local-de-Vulnerabilites

https://github.com/CerberusMrX/Cerberus-React2Shell-Scanner-Exploit

https://github.com/binertia/tldr-cve

https://github.com/arturomartinvegue/escalada-privilegios-kernel-exploit-dirty-cow

https://github.com/pardhu045/linux-privilege-escalation

https://github.com/abubakar-shahid/CVE-2024-36886

https://github.com/MarioAlejos-Cs/dirtycow-lab

https://github.com/Calana2/Exploits

https://github.com/Calana2/CVE-exploits

https://github.com/CristinaPravata/dirtycaw-projet

https://github.com/Samuel-G3/Escalamiento-de-Privilegios-usando-el-Kernel-Exploit-Dirty-Cow

https://github.com/0x3n19m4/CVE-2016-5195

https://github.com/LiEnby/PSSRoot

https://github.com/gek64/cve

https://github.com/sakilahamed/Linux-Kernel-Exploit-LAB

https://github.com/talent-x90c/cve_list

https://github.com/justikail/root

https://github.com/arttnba3/Linux-kernel-exploitation

https://github.com/guy-davidi/DirtyCow

https://github.com/LinuxKernelContent/DirtyCow

https://github.com/kangvcar/Hacking-Write-ups

https://github.com/flux10n/dirtycow

https://github.com/malinthag62/The-exploitation-of-Dirty-Cow-CVE-2016-5195

https://github.com/r1is/CVE-2022-0847

https://github.com/imfiver/CVE-2022-0847

https://github.com/ellietoulabi/Dirty-Cow

https://github.com/th3-5had0w/DirtyCOW-PoC

https://github.com/KaviDk/dirtyCow

https://github.com/dulanjaya23/Dirty-Cow-CVE-2016-5195-

https://github.com/imust6226/dirtcow

https://github.com/Brucetg/DirtyCow-EXP

https://github.com/xpcmdshell/derpyc0w

https://github.com/titanhp/Dirty-COW-CVE-2016-5195-Testing

https://github.com/arbll/dirtycow

https://github.com/FloridSleeves/os-experiment-4

https://github.com/droidvoider/dirtycow-replacer

https://github.com/esc0rtd3w/org.cowpoop.moooooo

https://github.com/martinmullins/amazon_remove_ads_apk

https://github.com/nndhanasekaran/redhat_cve2016

https://github.com/ndobson/inspec_CVE-2016-5195

https://github.com/firefart/dirtycow

https://github.com/aishee/scan-dirtycow

https://github.com/DavidBuchanan314/cowroot

https://github.com/gbonacini/CVE-2016-5195

https://github.com/sideeffect42/DirtyCOWTester

https://github.com/pgporada/ansible-role-cve

https://github.com/istenrot/centos-dirty-cow-ansible

https://github.com/xlucas/dirtycow.cr

https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2016-5195

https://kc.mcafee.com/corporate/index?page=content&id=SB10222

https://kc.mcafee.com/corporate/index?page=content&id=SB10177

https://kc.mcafee.com/corporate/index?page=content&id=SB10176

https://help.ecostruxureit.com/display/public/UADCO8x/StruxureWare+Data+Center+Operation+Software+Vulnerability+Fixes

https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/19be0eaffa3ac7d8eb6784ad9bdbc7d67ed8e619

https://github.com/dirtycow/dirtycow.github.io/wiki/VulnerabilityDetails

https://bugzilla.suse.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1004418

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1384344

http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1037078

http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/93793

http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/archive/1/540736/100/0/threaded

http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/archive/1/540344/100/0/threaded

http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/archive/1/540252/100/0/threaded

http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/archive/1/539611/100/0/threaded

http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/540736/100/0/threaded

http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/540344/100/0/threaded

http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/540252/100/0/threaded

http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/539611/100/0/threaded

http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v4.x/ChangeLog-4.8.3

Details

Source: Mitre, NVD

Published: 2016-11-10

Updated: 2026-06-17

Named Vulnerability: DirtyCowNamed Vulnerability: Dirty COWKnown Exploited Vulnerability (KEV)

Risk Information

CVSS v2

Base Score: 7.2

Vector: CVSS2#AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Severity: High

CVSS v3

Base Score: 7

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Severity: High

EPSS

EPSS: 0.83524