CVE-2016-3012
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 · uneditedIBM API Connect (aka APIConnect) before 5.0.3.0 with NPM before 2.2.8 includes certain internal server credentials in the software package, which might allow remote attackers to bypass intended access restrictions by leveraging knowledge of these credentials.
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 confidenceIBM API Connect versions before 5.0.3.0 and NPM versions before 2.2.8 ship with internal server credentials embedded directly in the software package distribution. Attackers who obtain these credentials through package analysis or disclosure can authenticate to internal services and bypass intended access restrictions.
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<= 5.0.2.0<= 2.1.1.9CVSS 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
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/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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Check IBM API Connect versionRun the command 'apic version' or check the product information file in the installation directory to determine the installed version of IBM API Connect.Affected if The installed version is 5.0.2.0 or earlier (any version <= 5.0.2.0).
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Check IBM Network Path Manager (NPM) versionRun the command 'npm --version' or check the product metadata to determine the installed version of IBM Network Path Manager.Affected if The installed version is 2.1.1.9 or earlier (any version <= 2.1.1.9).
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Inspect package contents for embedded credentialsExamine the distribution package files (zip, tar, installer) or the installation directory for configuration files, property files, or scripts that may contain hardcoded credentials such as passwords, API keys, or authentication tokens.Affected if Embedded credentials (passwords, keys, tokens) are found directly in the package files or configuration files within the installation directory.
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Search for credential patterns in configuration filesUse grep or a file search tool to look for common credential patterns in config files: search for 'password=', 'apikey=', 'secret=', 'token=' or examine XML, JSON, or properties files in the installation for hardcoded authentication data.Affected if Hardcoded credentials are found in any configuration files within the product installation.
A user is affected if they are running IBM API Connect version 5.0.2.0 or earlier, or IBM NPM version 2.1.1.9 or earlier, or if embedded credentials are found in the package distribution files.
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 IBM API Connect 5.0.3.0 or later and NPM 2.2.8 or later. Additionally, audit for credential exposure and rotate any compromised credentials as a precautionary measure.
- 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-2016-3012 — 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-2016-3012 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data