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LoadrunnerApplication · Hp

CVE-2016-4359

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2016-06-08
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
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
Stack-based buffer overflow in mchan.dll in the agent in HPE LoadRunner 11.52 through patch 3, 12.00 through patch 1, 12.01 through patch 3, 12.02 through patch 2, and 12.50 through patch 3 and Performance Center 11.52 through patch 3, 12.00 through patch 1, 12.01 through patch 3, 12.20 through patch 2, and 12.50 through patch 1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a long -server_name value, aka ZDI-CAN-3516.

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 stack-based buffer overflow in the mchan.dll component of HPE LoadRunner and Performance Center agents allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by sending a specially crafted, excessively long -server_name value to the affected agent.

MitigationApply the appropriate HPE patches for the specific LoadRunner or Performance Center version in use. Until patches can be applied, restrict network access to the agent communication ports to minimize exposure.

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
LoadrunnerApplication
Affected:= 11.52= 12.00= 12.01= 12.02= 12.50
Performance CenterApplication
Affected:= 11.52= 12.00= 12.01= 12.20= 12.50

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. Identify HPE LoadRunner or Performance Center installation
    Check the system for installed HPE LoadRunner or Performance Center software. Look for installation directories (typically under C:\Program Files\HP or C:\HP) or check Windows Programs and Features for HP LoadRunner or HP Performance Center entries.
    Affected if Either HPE LoadRunner or HP Performance Center is installed on the system.
  2. Determine installed version
    Locate the version information for the installed product. Check the installation directory for version files, or right-click on the main executable (often named LoadRunner or PTExplorer) and select Properties > Details to view the File Version. Compare this version against the affected versions: LoadRunner 11.52, 12.00, 12.01, 12.02, 12.50 and Performance Center 11.52, 12.00, 12.01, 12.20, 12.50.
    Affected if The installed version exactly matches one of the affected versions listed in the CVE.
  3. Locate the mchan.dll component
    Search for the presence of mchan.dll in the LoadRunner or Performance Center installation directory, particularly within the bin or agent subdirectories. This is the vulnerable component mentioned in the CVE.
    Affected if The mchan.dll file exists in the product installation directory, indicating the vulnerable component is present.
  4. Check if agent services are running
    Open Windows Services (services.msc) and look for HPE LoadRunner or Performance Center agent services (commonly named LoadRunner Agent or similar). Verify if these services are in a Running state and check the associated listening ports using netstat -an | findstr LISTENING.
    Affected if The LoadRunner or Performance Center agent services are running and listening on network ports, making the vulnerability exploitable over the network.
  5. Verify -server_name parameter exposure
    Review any configuration files, startup scripts, or scheduled tasks that launch the agent with the -server_name parameter. Determine if the agent is configured to accept remote connections without proper network segmentation.
    Affected if The agent is configured to accept remote connections and the -server_name parameter can be supplied by remote attackers, indicating the attack surface is exposed.

The environment is affected if HPE LoadRunner or Performance Center is installed with a version matching 11.52, 12.00, 12.01, 12.02, or 12.50 (for LoadRunner) or 11.52, 12.00, 12.01, 12.20, or 12.50 (for Performance Center), and the agent service is running with network accessibility.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the appropriate HPE patches for the specific LoadRunner or Performance Center version in use. Until patches can be applied, restrict network access to the agent communication ports to minimize exposure.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

HPE LoadRunner 12.50 Patch 4 or later / HPE Performance Center 12.50 Patch 2 or later

  1. 1. Identify the current installed version of HPE LoadRunner or Performance Center by checking the 'About' section in the application or using the HP Diagnostics or LoadRunner launcher.
  2. 2. Navigate to the HPE Support Center at support.hpe.com and search for security bulletin HPSBGN03591 or CVE-2016-4359.
  3. 3. Download and apply the appropriate patch for your version: For LoadRunner 11.52, apply Patch 4 or later; For LoadRunner 12.00, apply Patch 2 or later; For LoadRunner 12.01, apply Patch 4 or later; For LoadRunner 12.02, apply Patch 3 or later.
  4. 4. Alternatively, upgrade to LoadRunner 12.50 or later which contains the fix, as mentioned in the official description (12.50 through patch 3 is affected, implying later patches or versions are fixed.
  5. 5. For Performance Center, apply the corresponding patches: 11.52 Patch 4+, 12.00 Patch 2+, 12.01 Patch 4+, 12.20 Patch 3+, or upgrade to 12.50 Patch 2 or later.
  6. 6. After applying the patch or upgrade, restart the mchan agent service and verify the version includes the security fix.
  7. 7. Test the LoadRunner/Performance Center functionality to ensure the patch does not break existing workflows.
Caveat LoadRunner upgrades may require corresponding controller and agent updates to maintain compatibility; test in non-production environment first due to potential configuration changes between major versions

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

Fix this in Loadrunner Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,680
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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-2016-4359 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data