CVE-2016-4989

setroubleshoot allows local users to bypass an intended container protection mechanism and execute arbitrary commands by (1) triggering an SELinux denial with a crafted file name, which is handled by the _set_tpath function in audit_data.py or via a crafted (2) local_id or (3) analysis_id field in a crafted XML document to the run_fix function in SetroubleshootFixit.py, related to the subprocess.check_output and commands.getstatusoutput functions, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-4445.

Published: 2017-04-11 Last update: 2026-05-13 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]
NVD Status：Modified，CVE State: published
View at NVD, CVE.org, EUVD

CVE-2016-4989 is rated Moderate Risk (41/100): CVSS High severity, with low exploitation likelihood (EPSS 0.46%). Review affected assets and schedule remediation.

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

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2016-4989

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 2026-06-15 0.05% 0.46% +0.41%
2 2025-12-03 0.05% 0.05% -0.00%
3 2025-03-19 — 0.05% —

Full EPSS history (5 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2016-4989

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
7.0 3.0 HIGH
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:L)
They already need access on the box, or another person has to do something wrong; it’s not a remote drive-by.
Attack complexity (AC:H)
Even with access, the exploit needs extra luck, timing, or a fussy environment to actually work.
Privileges required (PR:L)
A normal user session is enough; they don’t have to be admin.
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.
 1.0 5.9 [email protected]
6.9 2.0 MEDIUM
AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C Click to expand
Access vector (AV:L)
Requires local access to the target system.
Access complexity (AC:M)
Exploitation needs some favorable conditions, but not exceptional ones.
Authentication (AU:N)
No authentication is required.
Confidentiality impact (C:C)
Complete confidentiality impact.
Integrity impact (I:C)
Complete integrity impact.
Availability impact (A:C)
Complete availability impact.
 3.4 10.0 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2016-4989

OS Trackers for CVE-2016-4989

vendor priority summary link
redhat high — https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2016-4989

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2016-4989

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
setroubleshoot_project setroubleshoot <= - cpe:2.3:a:setroubleshoot_project:setroubleshoot:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_desktop 7.0 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_hpc_node 7.0 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_hpc_node:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_server 7.0 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_workstation 7.0 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2016-4989

cvelogic Threat Intelligence