CVE-2016-6023
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 · uneditedDirectory traversal vulnerability in the Configuration Manager in IBM Sterling Secure Proxy (SSP) 3.4.2 before 3.4.2.0 iFix 8 and 3.4.3 before 3.4.3.0 iFix 1 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via a crafted URL.
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 confidenceDirectory traversal vulnerability in the Configuration Manager component of IBM Sterling Secure Proxy allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files on the server by using '../' sequences in crafted URLs to escape the intended directory boundaries.
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= 3.4.2.0= 3.4.3.0CVSS 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
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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 if Configuration Manager web interface is enabled and exposedCheck the Sterling Secure Proxy installation for the Configuration Manager component. Typically located in the 'cm' or 'configuration_manager' directory under the installation root. Look for running HTTP/HTTPS listeners on ports 8443, 9443, or configured CM ports.Affected if Configuration Manager is enabled and accessible over the network on any port
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Determine the installed version of IBM Sterling Secure ProxyLocate the version file or check the product build. Common locations: <install_dir>/version.txt, <install_dir>/bin/version, or check the about section in the Configuration Manager UI if accessible.Affected if The installed version is exactly 3.4.2.0 or exactly 3.4.3.0
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Review Configuration Manager access logs for directory traversal patternsSearch Configuration Manager logs (typically in <install_dir>/cm/logs/ or <install_dir>/logs/) for URL patterns containing '../' sequences. Use grep or similar: grep -r "\.\./" <log_directory> or look for patterns like '..%2F' (URL-encoded).Affected if Log entries show requests with '../' sequences that escape the expected directory boundary
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Check for unauthorized file access attempts in audit logsExamine system or application audit logs for unexpected file read operations, particularly to system files outside the expected web root or configuration directories.Affected if Audit logs show file access to paths outside the expected Configuration Manager document root
A user is affected if IBM Sterling Secure Proxy version 3.4.2.0 or 3.4.3.0 is installed AND the Configuration Manager component is enabled and network-accessible, or if logs show evidence of traversal attempts.
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 IBM iFix 8 for version 3.4.2 or iFix 1 for version 3.4.3 to patch the vulnerability. Until patched, restrict network access to the Configuration Manager interface and monitor for suspicious URL patterns.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 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-2016-6023 — 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-2016-6023 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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