CVE-2016-4338

Exp

The mysql user parameter configuration script (userparameter_mysql.conf) in the agent in Zabbix before 2.0.18, 2.2.x before 2.2.13, and 3.0.x before 3.0.3, when used with a shell other than bash, allows context-dependent attackers to execute arbitrary code or SQL commands via the mysql.size parameter.

Published: 2017-01-23 Last update: 2026-05-13 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]
NVD Status：Modified，CVE State: published
View at NVD, CVE.org, EUVD

CVE-2016-4338 is rated High Exploit Risk (76.5/100): CVSS High severity, with high exploitation likelihood (EPSS 44.96%, 97th percentile). 5 public exploit reference(s) are indexed (Exploit-DB). Public exploits are available—assess exposure, apply mitigations, and prioritize patching.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Public exploit references (Exploit-DB) for CVE-2016-4338

EDB-ID Source Kind Published Link
39769 exploit_db edb 2016-05-04 Exploit-DB ↗
— nvd_ref exploit_tag Exploit-DB ↗
— nvd_ref exploit_tag Exploit-DB ↗
— nvd_ref exploit_tag Exploit-DB ↗
— nvd_ref exploit_tag Exploit-DB ↗

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2016-4338

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2025-03-30 62.89% 44.96% -17.93%
2 2025-03-29 44.96% 62.89% +17.93%
3 2025-03-17 — 44.96% —

Full EPSS history (5 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2016-4338

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
8.1 3.0 HIGH
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:H)
Even with access, the exploit needs extra luck, timing, or a fussy environment to actually work.
Privileges required (PR:N)
No account or special rights needed—anonymous or random user is enough.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:H)
They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:H)
Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.
 2.2 5.9 [email protected]
6.8 2.0 MEDIUM
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P Click to expand
Access vector (AV:N)
Can be exploited remotely over network reachability.
Access complexity (AC:M)
Exploitation needs some favorable conditions, but not exceptional ones.
Authentication (AU:N)
No authentication is required.
Confidentiality impact (C:P)
Partial confidentiality impact.
Integrity impact (I:P)
Partial integrity impact.
Availability impact (A:P)
Partial availability impact.
 8.6 6.4 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2016-4338

OS Trackers for CVE-2016-4338

vendor priority summary link
debian not yet assigned CVE-2016-4338 not yet assigned priority: Debian including 1 source packages (zabbix), 5 status rows across 5 suites (bookworm, bullseye, forky, sid, trixie): resolved 5. https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2016-4338
gentoo normal CVE-2016-4338: 1 GLSA(s) (201612-42), 1 atom(s) (net-analyzer/zabbix); latest impact normal. https://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?quicksearch=CVE-2016-4338
ubuntu medium CVE-2016-4338 medium priority: Ubuntu including 1 source packages (zabbix), 17 status rows across 17 suites (artful, bionic, cosmic, disco, eoan, focal, groovy, hirsute, impish, jammy, precise, trusty, upstream, wily, xenial, yakkety, zesty): not-affected 10, ignored 5, released 2. https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2016-4338

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2016-4338

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
zabbix zabbix 2.0.0 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:2.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 2.0.1 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:2.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 2.0.2 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:2.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 2.0.3 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:2.0.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 2.0.4 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:2.0.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 2.0.5 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:2.0.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 2.0.6 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:2.0.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 2.0.7 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:2.0.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 2.0.8 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:2.0.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 2.0.9 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:2.0.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 2.0.10 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:2.0.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 2.0.11 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:2.0.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 2.0.12 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:2.0.12:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 2.0.13 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:2.0.13:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 2.0.14 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:2.0.14:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 2.0.15 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:2.0.15:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 2.0.16 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:2.0.16:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 2.0.17 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:2.0.17:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 2.2.0 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:2.2.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 2.2.1 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:2.2.1:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 2.2.2 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:2.2.2:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 2.2.3 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:2.2.3:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 2.2.4 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:2.2.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 2.2.5 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:2.2.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 2.2.6 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:2.2.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 2.2.7 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:2.2.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 2.2.8 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:2.2.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 2.2.9 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:2.2.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 2.2.10 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:2.2.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 2.2.11 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:2.2.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 2.2.12 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:2.2.12:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 3.0.0 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:3.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zabbix zabbix 3.0.2 cpe:2.3:a:zabbix:zabbix:3.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2016-4338

URL Tags
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/136898/Zabbix-Agent-3.0.1-mysql.size-Shell-Command-Injection.html Exploit Third Party Advisory VDB Entry
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2016/May/9 Exploit Third Party Advisory VDB Entry
http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/538258/100/0/threaded
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/89631 Third Party Advisory VDB Entry
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201612-42 Third Party Advisory VDB Entry
https://support.zabbix.com/browse/ZBX-10741 Exploit Patch Vendor Advisory
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/39769/ Exploit Third Party Advisory VDB Entry
https://www.zabbix.com/documentation/2.0/manual/introduction/whatsnew2018#miscellaneous_improvements Vendor Advisory
https://www.zabbix.com/documentation/2.2/manual/introduction/whatsnew2213#miscellaneous_improvements Vendor Advisory
https://www.zabbix.com/documentation/3.0/manual/introduction/whatsnew303#miscellaneous_improvements Vendor Advisory
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