CVE-2016-0278
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedHeap-based buffer overflow in the KeyView PDF filter in IBM Domino 8.5.x before 8.5.3 FP6 IF13 and 9.x before 9.0.1 FP6 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted PDF document, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-0277, CVE-2016-0279, and CVE-2016-0301.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceA heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in IBM Domino's KeyView PDF filter component. By processing a specially crafted PDF document, an attacker can corrupt heap memory and achieve arbitrary code execution on the affected Domino server. This affects Domino versions 8.5.x before 8.5.3 FP6 IF13 and 9.x before 9.0.1 FP6.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data= 8.5.3= 8.5.3.1= 8.5.3.2= 8.5.3.3= 8.5.3.4= 8.5.3.5= 8.5.0= 9.0.1= 9.0.1.1= 9.0.1.2= 9.0.1.3= 9.0.1.4CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check installed IBM Domino versionLocate the Domino program directory and identify the version number. On Windows, check the notes.ini file or use 'NSD -version'. On Linux/Unix, check the domino binary or version file in the installation directory.Affected if The Domino version is 8.5.x before 8.5.3 FP6 IF13, or 9.x before 9.0.1 FP6. Specifically affected: 8.5.0, 8.5.3 through 8.5.3.5, 9.0.1 through 9.0.1.4.
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Verify KeyView PDF filter is enabledExamine the Domino server notes.ini file for PDF filter configuration. Look for parameters such as PDF_Conversion or PDFFilter settings, or check the Domino Directory server document for attachment conversion settings.Affected if The KeyView PDF filter is enabled in the Domino server configuration, allowing PDF processing.
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Confirm Domino processes PDF attachmentsReview the Domino server console and task list for PDF conversion or filtering tasks. Check if Domino is configured as a mail server handling PDF attachments, or if PDF filtering is active for any purpose.Affected if The Domino server is actively processing or converting PDF attachments through the KeyView filter component.
If the installed Domino version falls within the affected ranges and the KeyView PDF filter is enabled for processing PDF attachments, the server is vulnerable to CVE-2016-0278.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataApply the vendor-supplied patches (8.5.3 FP6 IF13 or 9.0.1 FP6) to the affected Domino servers. As an interim control, block or sanitize PDF attachments at the mail gateway until patching is complete.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-0278 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2016-0278 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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