CVE-2016-7251
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 · uneditedCross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the MDS API in Microsoft SQL Server 2016 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via an unspecified parameter, aka "MDS API XSS Vulnerability."
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 confidenceA cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists in the Master Data Services (MDS) API of Microsoft SQL Server 2016. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary JavaScript or HTML code through unspecified parameters in the MDS API endpoints, potentially allowing session hijacking, defacement, or credential theft against users accessing the MDS web interface.
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= 2016CVSS 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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Verify SQL Server 2016 is installedOpen SQL Server Configuration Manager or run 'SELECT @@VERSION' via SQLCMD to confirm the installed SQL Server version is 2016Affected if The installed version is Microsoft SQL Server 2016
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Confirm Master Data Services is configuredCheck IIS Manager for the MDS web application or look for the MDS website directory under the SQL Server installation path (typically C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\130\Master Data Services\)Affected if MDS is installed and the web application exists on the server
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Check if MDS web interface is accessibleAttempt to access the MDS endpoint via browser or curl (e.g., http://localhost/mds or the configured MDS URL) to confirm the web interface is runningAffected if The MDS web interface responds to HTTP requests, indicating it is enabled and accessible
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Identify MDS API endpoint availabilityCheck if the MDS API directory (typically /api/v1/ or similar MDS API paths) is reachable within the MDS web applicationAffected if The MDS API endpoints are exposed and accessible over the network
You are affected if SQL Server 2016 is installed with Master Data Services enabled and its web interface/API is accessible, as the XSS vulnerability exists in the MDS API component.
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 Microsoft security update for CVE-2016-7251 to SQL Server 2016. If patches are unavailable, consider disabling the MDS web interface or implementing input validation/waf rules to filter malicious script payloads in MDS API requests.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-7251 — 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-2016-7251 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
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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