CVE-2016-5042
HIGHEPSS 90th pctlDescription
The dwarf_get_aranges_list function in libdwarf before 20160923 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite loop and crash) via a crafted DWARF section.
How to fix
TridentStack Control can deploy fixes like this automatically across your Windows, macOS, and Linux fleet. See how it works
Remediation is compiled from vendor and distribution security advisories. Always confirm against the linked source for your exact version and platform.
CVSS v3 Vector
Exploitability
Impact
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Exploit Intelligence
High risk: more likely to be exploited than 90% of all known CVEs.
References
Related Vulnerabilities
Other CWE-835 vulnerabilities, ordered by exploit likelihood. View all
| CVE | Severity | CVSS | EPSS | Exploited | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2020-13935 | High | 7.5 | 87% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2020-36227 | High | 7.5 | 78% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2022-0778 | High | 7.5 | 73% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2024-20353 | High | 8.6 | 71% | KEV | - |
| CVE-2019-14241 | High | 7.5 | 70% | - | - |
| CVE-2017-16944 | High | 7.5 | 63% | - | Fix |
Common questions
How do I fix CVE-2016-5042?
Upgrade dwarfutils on debian 12 to 20160507-1 or later.
Is CVE-2016-5042 being actively exploited?
Not that we know of. CVE-2016-5042 is not in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Its EPSS score of 4.1% is the estimated probability that it will be exploited in the next 30 days. That is higher than 90% of all scored CVEs.
How severe is CVE-2016-5042?
CVE-2016-5042 has a CVSS v3 base score of 7.5, rated high. CVSS rates the technical impact if the vulnerability is exploited, not how likely that is, so weigh it alongside the exploit-prediction score when you decide what to patch first.
What does CVE-2016-5042 affect?
Published advisories record a fix for dwarfutils (Debian). Only products with a sourced advisory are listed, so treat this as what we can cite rather than a complete inventory.
Embed a live status badge for CVE-2016-5042
Markdown
[](https://tridentstack.com/cve/CVE-2016-5042)HTML
<a href="https://tridentstack.com/cve/CVE-2016-5042"><img src="https://tridentstack.com/cve/badge/CVE-2016-5042.svg" alt="CVE-2016-5042"></a>Check your Linux endpoints for this class of vulnerability
TridentStack Control continuously scans Linux endpoints for known vulnerabilities and deploys the fixes from the same console. 200 endpoints free forever, no credit card.
This product uses NVD data but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS scores courtesy of FIRST.org (https://www.first.org/epss). Source: CISA KEV Catalog. Data as of 2026-06-17.