ThriftApplication · Apache
CVE-2016-5397
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 Apache Thrift Go client library exposed the potential during code generation for command injection due to using an external formatting tool. Affected Apache Thrift 0.9.3 and older, Fixed in Apache Thrift 0.10.0.
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 confidenceThe Apache Thrift Go client library contains a command injection vulnerability in its code generation process. The vulnerability stems from unsafe use of an external formatting tool during code generation, allowing an attacker to inject and execute arbitrary commands. This affects versions 0.9.3 and older.
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
ThriftApplication
<= 0.9.3CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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 if Apache Thrift is installedLocate the Thrift compiler (thrift binary) on the system using 'which thrift' on Linux/Mac or searching for thrift.exe on Windows. Check common installation paths like /usr/bin/thrift, /usr/local/bin/thrift, or C:\Program Files\Thrift\thrift.exe.Affected if Apache Thrift compiler is found on the system
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Determine the installed Thrift versionRun 'thrift -version' or 'thrift --version' to retrieve the version number of the installed Thrift compiler.Affected if The version number returned is 0.9.3 or any version lower than 0.9.3 (e.g., 0.9.2, 0.9.1, 0.9.0)
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Verify Go code generation is in useReview build scripts, CI/CD pipelines, or project documentation to determine if the Thrift compiler is being used to generate Go client code (typically with the -gen go flag).Affected if Thrift is used to generate Go client code from .thrift IDL files
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Check for external tool usage in code generation pipelineExamine Thrift compiler configuration, wrapper scripts, or build automation that invokes Thrift code generation. Look for any external formatting tools or custom scripts that process Thrift-generated code.Affected if External tools or custom scripts are invoked during or after Thrift code generation, and those tools could receive input derived from .thrift files
The environment is affected if Apache Thrift version 0.9.3 or older is installed and is used to generate Go client code, particularly when external tools are involved in the code generation pipeline.
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 Apache Thrift to version 0.10.0 or later. Review code generation pipelines to ensure no untrusted input reaches external tools, and audit existing deployments for any signs of exploitation.
Fix this in Thrift
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 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 $3,328.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-5397 — 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-2016-5397 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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