CVE-2016-5751
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 · uneditedAn unfiltered finalizer target URL in the SAML processing feature in Identity Server in NetIQ Access Manager 4.1 before 4.1.2 HF1 and 4.2 before 4.2.2 could be used to trigger XSS and leak authentication 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 · moderate confidenceCross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in NetIQ Access Manager Identity Server's SAML processing feature allows attackers to inject malicious scripts via an unfiltered finalizer target URL, potentially exfiltrating authentication credentials.
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= 4.1= 4.2CVSS 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
- Required
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/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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Identify NetIQ Access Manager installationLocate the NetIQ Access Manager installation directory and confirm the Identity Server component is present. Common paths include /opt/novell/nam or C:\Program Files\NetIQ\NAM. Look for identity server related directories and executables.Affected if The Identity Server component of NetIQ Access Manager is installed
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Determine the installed versionCheck the version of NetIQ Access Manager by inspecting the NAM version file, About dialog in the admin console, or running: namadmin -v or looking in the installation logs. Common version files are in the bin or config directories.Affected if The installed version is exactly 4.1 or 4.2 (base releases)
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Verify SAML processing is enabledAccess the NetIQ Access Manager admin console and navigate to Identity Server > SAML Settings or check configuration files (typically in the Identity Server config directory) for enabled SAML service provider or identity provider configurations.Affected if SAML Single Sign-On or Identity Provider functionality is configured and active
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Inspect SAML target URL configurationReview the SAML configuration files and look for finalizer target URL settings. These are typically found in the SAML metadata or identity server configuration XML files under the identity server config directory.Affected if A SAML target URL is configured without proper output encoding or validation filters applied to the finalizer parameter
You are affected if NetIQ Access Manager Identity Server version 4.1 or 4.2 is running with SAML processing enabled and a target URL is configured in the SAML settings.
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 dataApply the vendor-supplied hotfixes: update to NetIQ Access Manager 4.1.2 HF1 or 4.2.2 or later to patch the unfiltered SAML target URL.
- Consultation4.0 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 $3,968.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-5751 — 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-2016-5751 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data