CVE-2016-5683
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 · uneditedReadyDesk 9.1 allows local users to determine cleartext SQL Server credentials by reading the SQL_Config.aspx file and decrypting data with a hardcoded key in the ReadyDesk.dll file.
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 confidenceReadyDesk 9.1 contains an information disclosure vulnerability where local users can obtain SQL Server credentials by reading the SQL_Config.aspx file and decrypting the stored credentials using a hardcoded cryptographic key found in ReadyDesk.dll. This exposes sensitive database credentials in cleartext.
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= 9.1CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/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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Check the installed Readydesk versionLocate and inspect the Readydesk version information, typically found in the application about page, version file, or assembly metadataAffected if The installed version is Readydesk 9.1
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Locate the SQL_Config.aspx fileSearch the web root or application directory for a file named SQL_Config.aspxAffected if The file SQL_Config.aspx exists and is accessible within the application web directory
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Inspect SQL_Config.aspx for stored credentialsOpen SQL_Config.aspx in a text editor or web browser and look for encrypted or encoded database credential stringsAffected if The file contains encrypted credential data such as connection strings or password fields
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Examine ReadyDesk.dll for hardcoded cryptographic keyDecompile or inspect ReadyDesk.dll using a .NET disassembler (such as ILSpy or dnSpy) and search for hardcoded encryption/decryption keysAffected if ReadyDesk.dll contains a hardcoded decryption key (such as a symmetric key or IV) used for credential decryption
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Verify credential exposureAttempt to decrypt the credentials found in SQL_Config.aspx using the hardcoded key from ReadyDesk.dll to confirm plaintext exposureAffected if Credentials can be decrypted to reveal SQL Server usernames and passwords in cleartext
A user is affected if running Readydesk version 9.1 where SQL_Config.aspx contains encrypted credentials that can be decrypted using a hardcoded key found in ReadyDesk.dll, allowing unauthorized database credential disclosure.
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 dataReplace the hardcoded decryption key with a proper key management solution, rotate all exposed SQL Server credentials, and restrict access to the SQL_Config.aspx file to prevent unauthorized credential disclosure.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-5683 — 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-2016-5683 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