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NetworkerApplication · Emc

CVE-2016-0916

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2016-06-10
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 8.2.2.6 / 9.0.0.6 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
EMC NetWorker 8.2.1.x and 8.2.2.x before 8.2.2.6 and 9.x before 9.0.0.6 mishandles authentication, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands by leveraging access to a different NetWorker instance.

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 · moderate confidence

EMC NetWorker versions 8.2.1.x, 8.2.2.x before 8.2.2.6, and 9.x before 9.0.0.6 contain an authentication handling flaw that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands by leveraging access to a different NetWorker instance, indicating a cross-instance authentication bypass vulnerability.

MitigationUpdate EMC NetWorker to version 8.2.2.6 or 9.0.0.6 or later to remediate this vulnerability.

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
NetworkerApplication
Affected:>= 8.2.1.0, <= 8.2.1.8>= 8.2.2.0, < 8.2.2.6>= 9.0.0.0, < 9.0.0.6

CVSS 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
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check if EMC NetWorker is installed
    Run 'nsr-version' command on Linux/Unix or check Programs and Features on Windows for NetWorker installation. Also check for installation directory typically at /opt/networker or C:\Program Files\EMC NetWorker
    Affected if NetWorker is not installed or no version can be determined, then not affected
  2. Determine installed NetWorker version
    Execute 'nsr-version' command or examine the version string in the NetWorker installation. On Windows, check the version in Add/Remove Programs or the installation binaries. On Linux, check rpm package with 'rpm -q libnsr' or similar.
    Affected if The installed version falls within 8.2.1.0-8.2.1.8, 8.2.2.0-8.2.2.5, or 9.0.0.0-9.0.0.5
  3. Check for multiple NetWorker instances in environment
    Search network infrastructure for other NetWorker servers. Query DNS, scan network for port 7937 (common NetWorker port), or check if this NetWorker instance communicates with other NetWorker servers for backup/replication.
    Affected if Multiple NetWorker instances exist in the environment and cross-instance authentication is configured
  4. Verify cross-instance authentication configuration
    Examine NetWorker configuration files (usually nsrla.conf, nsrwd.conf, or the NMC database) for authentication settings between instances. Look for settings related to 'cross-instance', 'authentication', or 'trusted hosts' functionality.
    Affected if Cross-instance authentication or trusted host relationships are configured between different NetWorker servers

You are affected if NetWorker is installed with a version between 8.2.1.0-8.2.1.8, 8.2.2.0-8.2.2.5, or 9.0.0.0-9.0.0.5 AND multiple NetWorker instances exist with cross-instance authentication enabled.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 8.2.2.6 / 9.0.0.6 or later
Fixed in 8.2.2.69.0.0.6
Interim mitigation

Update EMC NetWorker to version 8.2.2.6 or 9.0.0.6 or later to remediate this vulnerability.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to NetWorker 8.2.2.6 or later, or 9.0.0.6 or later (for 8.2.1.x branches, migrate to 8.2.2.6 or later)

  1. 1. Review EMC NetWorker upgrade documentation and release notes for version 8.2.2.6 or 9.0.0.6
  2. 2. Create a complete backup of the NetWorker configuration, including bootstrap, client files, and media database
  3. 3. Test the upgrade in a non-production environment first
  4. 4. Download the appropriate fixed version (8.2.2.6 for 8.2.x branches or 9.0.0.6 for 9.x branch) from EMC/ Dell support portal
  5. 5. Stop all NetWorker services before upgrading
  6. 6. Install the upgrade following the vendor's documented procedure
  7. 7. Restart NetWorker services and verify the installation
  8. 8. Confirm authentication mechanisms are working properly
Caveat Minor version upgrades typically maintain configuration compatibility; always test in staging first

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Networker Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
13.0 hours of engineering $2,280
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2016-0916 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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