CVE-2016-6658
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 · uneditedApplications in cf-release before 245 can be configured and pushed with a user-provided custom buildpack using a URL pointing to the buildpack. Although it is not recommended, a user can specify a credential in the URL (basic auth or OAuth) to access the buildpack through the CLI. For example, the user could include a GitHub username and password in the URL to access a private repo. Because the URL to access the buildpack is stored unencrypted, an operator with privileged access to the Cloud Controller database could view these 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 · high confidenceIn Cloud Foundry cf-release before version 245, custom buildpack URLs can include embedded credentials (basic auth or OAuth) for authentication. These credentials are stored in plaintext (unencrypted) in the Cloud Controller database, allowing any operator with database access to view them.
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< 245< 1.6.49>= 1.7.0, < 1.7.31>= 1.8.0, < 1.8.11CVSS 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
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/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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Check your cf-release versionRun 'cf -v' or check the cf-release manifest file in your deployment to identify the cf-release version numberAffected if The version is below 245 (e.g., v240, v242, etc.)
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Check your Elastic Runtime versionRun 'cf curl /v2/info' or check the Pivotal Elastic Runtime version through the Ops Manager dashboardAffected if The version is < 1.6.49, or >= 1.7.0 and < 1.7.31, or >= 1.8.0 and < 1.8.11
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Determine if custom buildpacks with embedded credentials were usedQuery operators or review documentation to identify if any custom buildpack URLs contained username:password (basic auth) or OAuth tokens in the URLAffected if Custom buildpacks with credentials in the URL were ever configured and the above version conditions apply
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Inspect the Cloud Controller database for plaintext credentialsConnect to the Cloud Controller database (PostgreSQL) and query the 'buildpacks' table: SELECT name, url FROM buildpacks WHERE url LIKE '%@%' OR url LIKE '%:%@%';Affected if Any buildpack URLs contain visible username:password patterns or OAuth tokens in plaintext
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Audit buildpack staging logsReview Cloud Controller staging logs for any buildpack URL patterns that may have been logged with credentials exposedAffected if Historical logs contain plaintext credentials from buildpack URL configurations
You are affected if your cf-release is below 245 or your Elastic Runtime is in an affected range AND custom buildpacks with embedded credentials were used, resulting in plaintext storage in the database.
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.
dbcve · scoped1.6.491.7.311.8.11
Upgrade cf-release to version 245 or later to resolve the plaintext storage issue. Additionally, rotate any credentials that may have been exposed through buildpack URLs.
cf-release 245 or later; Elastic Runtime 1.6.49+, 1.7.31+, or 1.8.11+ (depending on current branch)
- Identify current Cloud Foundry Elastic Runtime or cf-release version using 'cf api' and checking deployment manifests
- For cf-release: upgrade to cf-release 245 or later
- For Elastic Runtime 1.6.x: upgrade to version 1.6.49 or later
- For Elastic Runtime 1.7.x: upgrade to version 1.7.31 or later
- For Elastic Runtime 1.8.x: upgrade to version 1.8.11 or later
- After upgrade, review database for any stored credentials in buildpack URLs and rotate any exposed credentials
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-6658 — 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-2016-6658 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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