dbcve.org
Mail Security For Microsoft ExchangeApplication · Symantec

CVE-2016-2211

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2016-06-30
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 10.6.1-3 or later.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
High EPSS No privileges

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
The AntiVirus Decomposer engine in Symantec Advanced Threat Protection (ATP); Symantec Data Center Security:Server (SDCS:S) 6.x through 6.6 MP1; Symantec Web Gateway; Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) before 12.1 RU6 MP5; Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) for Mac; Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) for Linux before 12.1 RU6 MP5; Symantec Protection Engine (SPE) before 7.0.5 HF01, 7.5.x before 7.5.3 HF03, 7.5.4 before HF01, and 7.8.0 before HF01; Symantec Protection for SharePoint Servers (SPSS) 6.0.3 through 6.0.5 before 6.0.5 HF 1.5 and 6.0.6 before HF 1.6; Symantec Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange (SMSMSE) before 7.0_3966002 HF1.1 and 7.5.x before 7.5_3966008 VHF1.2; Symantec Mail Security for Domino (SMSDOM) before 8.0.9 HF1.1 and 8.1.x before 8.1.3 HF1.2; CSAPI before 10.0.4 HF01; Symantec Message Gateway (SMG) before 10.6.1-4; Symantec Message Gateway for Service Providers (SMG-SP) 10.5 before patch 254 and 10.6 before patch 253; Norton AntiVirus, Norton Security, Norton Internet Security, and Norton 360 before NGC 22.7; Norton Security for Mac before 13.0.2; Norton Power Eraser (NPE) before 5.1; and Norton Bootable Removal Tool (NBRT) before 2016.1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted CAB file that is mishandled during decompression.

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 confidence

A memory corruption vulnerability exists in Symantec's AntiVirus Decomposer engine across multiple products. The vulnerability is triggered when the engine processes a specially crafted CAB archive file during decompression, leading to either arbitrary code execution or denial of service via heap corruption or similar memory safety violations.

MitigationUpdate affected Symantec products to the specified hotfix versions (e.g., SEP to 12.1 RU6 MP5, SPE to 7.0.5 HF01/7.5.3 HF03/7.8.0 HF01) as enumerated in the vendor advisory. Until patches are applied, disable CAB file scanning or restrict untrusted file uploads.

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
Mail Security For Microsoft ExchangeApplication
Affected:>= 7.0, <= 7.0.4>= 7.5, <= 7.5.4= 6.5.8
Norton Power EraserApplication
Affected:<= 5.0
Protection EngineApplication
Affected:>= 7.0.0, <= 7.0.5>= 7.5.0, <= 7.5.4= 7.8.0
Endpoint ProtectionApplication
Affected:= 12.1.6
Message GatewayApplication
Affected:<= 10.6.1-3
Norton 360Application
Affected:all versions
Norton AntivirusApplication
Affected:all versions
Norton Internet SecurityApplication
Affected:all versions

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
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 checks

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

  1. Identify installed Symantec product
    Open Control Panel > Programs and Features, or check the product's UI (Help > About) to determine which Symantec product is installed. Common names include: Symantec Endpoint Protection, Norton 360, Norton Antivirus, Norton Internet Security, Symantec Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange, Symantec Protection Engine, or Symantec Message Gateway.
    Affected if Any of the following products are installed: Symantec Mail Security For Microsoft Exchange, Symantec Norton Power Eraser, Symantec Protection Engine, Symantec Endpoint Protection, Symantec Message Gateway, Symantec Norton 360, Symantec Antivirus, or Norton Internet Security.
  2. Determine the exact product version
    In the product's UI, go to Help > About or Help > Support. For command-line, you can also check the product's executable properties. For Endpoint Protection, check C:\Program Files\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection\version.txt or the smc -version command.
    Affected if The installed version matches the affected ranges: SMSMSE 7.0.0-7.0.4, 7.5.0-7.5.4, or 6.5.8; Norton Power Eraser 5.0 or lower; SPE 7.0.0-7.0.5, 7.5.0-7.5.4, or 7.8.0; SEP 12.1.6; SMG 10.6.1-3 or lower; Norton 360, Norton Antivirus, or Norton Internet Security of any version.
  3. Verify if CAB decompression/scanning is enabled
    Open the antivirus product settings. For Endpoint Protection, go to Client Management > Policies > Antivirus and look for 'Decomposer' or 'Archive scanning' settings. Ensure 'Scan inside archives' or similar options are enabled (which exposes the vulnerability).
    Affected if CAB archive scanning or decompression is enabled in the product settings, as this is the attack vector for the vulnerability.
  4. Check for recent CAB file processing activity
    Review the antivirus logs (typically in C:\ProgramData\Symantec\ or the product's log directory) for entries involving .cab files processed by the Decomposer engine around the time of potential exploitation.
    Affected if The product has processed CAB files recently, indicating the Decomposer engine is actively used and could be triggered.

You are affected if you have any of the listed Symantec products installed with a version matching the affected ranges (or any version for Norton 360/Antivirus/Internet Security), and CAB archive scanning is 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.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 10.6.1-3
Interim mitigation

Update affected Symantec products to the specified hotfix versions (e.g., SEP to 12.1 RU6 MP5, SPE to 7.0.5 HF01/7.5.3 HF03/7.8.0 HF01) as enumerated in the vendor advisory. Until patches are applied, disable CAB file scanning or restrict untrusted file uploads.

Fix this in Mail Security For Microsoft Exchange Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,500
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An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,600.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2016-2211 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