CVE-2016-0899
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 · uneditedEMC RSA Archer GRC 5.5.x before 5.5.3.4 allows remote authenticated users to read the web.config.bak file, and obtain sensitive credential information, by modifying the IIS configuration to set a Content-Type header for .bak files.
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 confidenceEMC RSA Archer GRC versions 5.5.x before 5.5.3.4 allows remote authenticated users to read the web.config.bak backup file, which contains sensitive credential information. The vulnerability exists because IIS can be configured to serve .bak files with a proper Content-Type header, making them accessible to authenticated users who can then obtain plaintext credentials stored in the configuration backup.
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= 5.5= 5.5.1= 5.5.1.3= 5.5.2.3CVSS 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
- Network
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N
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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Identify RSA Archer GRC versionCheck the installed version of RSA Archer GRC by reviewing the application or system information, typically found in the About section or installation directoryAffected if version is 5.5.x before 5.5.3.4 (specifically 5.5, 5.5.1, 5.5.1.3, or 5.5.2.3)
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Verify IIS serves .bak filesInspect IIS configuration to determine if .bak file extensions are mapped to a MIME type or handler that allows them to be served with a Content-Type headerAffected if IIS is configured to serve .bak files (returns a valid HTTP response instead of 404 or 403)
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Check for web.config.bak accessibilityAttempt to access http(s)://<hostname>/web.config.bak or similar paths using a web browser or HTTP client as an authenticated userAffected if web.config.bak file is downloadable and returns HTTP 200 with file contents
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Inspect web root for backup filesReview the web application directory for any .bak files (such as web.config.bak, web.config.old, or similar backup files) that may contain sensitive configuration dataAffected if backup configuration files exist in the web-accessible directory
User is affected if running RSA Archer GRC version 5.5.x before 5.5.3.4 and .bak files are accessible via the web server, allowing retrieval of the web.config.bak containing plaintext credentials.
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 dataUpgrade to RSA Archer GRC 5.5.3.4 or later, or configure IIS to deny serving .bak and other backup file extensions to prevent disclosure of sensitive configuration files.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,408.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-0899 — 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-2016-0899 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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- 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data