CVE-2016-4819
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 · uneditedThe printfDx function in Takumi Yamada DX Library for Borland C++ 3.13f through 3.16b, DX Library for Gnu C++ 3.13f through 3.16b, and DX Library for Visual C++ 3.13f through 3.16b allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted string.
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 confidenceA format string vulnerability in the printfDx function of Takumi Yamada DX Library versions 3.13f through 3.16b across Borland C++, Gnu C++, and Visual C++ allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by supplying a crafted format string.
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<= 3.16bCVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify Dx Library usageSearch project files, libraries, and dependencies for references to Dx Library or DxLib. Check included header files and linked library files for 'Dx' or 'DX' library indicators.Affected if Dx Library is present in the project environment
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Determine Dx Library versionCheck library headers, documentation, or version information files for the exact Dx Library version number. Compare against the affected range of 3.13f through 3.16b.Affected if Installed version is between 3.13f and 3.16b inclusive
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Locate printfDx function callsSearch source code for invocations of 'printfDx' function. Review all code paths that call this function and identify where arguments originate.Affected if The printfDx function is called in the codebase
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Inspect user input to printfDxTrace data flow to printfDx calls. Determine if any arguments come from external sources (user input, network data, file content) without format string sanitization.Affected if Unsanitized user-controlled strings are passed as arguments to printfDx
A user is affected if Dx Library version 3.13f through 3.16b is in use and the printfDx function processes user-supplied format strings without validation.
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 dataUpdate to a patched library version if available; otherwise implement input validation/sanitization on all user-supplied strings passed to printfDx or disable the function until a patch is obtained.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 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 $5,120.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-4819 — 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-2016-4819 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
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