---
title: "CVE-2016-2785\n    | Ubuntu"
description: Ubuntu is an open source software operating system that runs from the
  desktop, to the cloud, to all your internet connected things.
url: https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2016-2785?format=md
keywords: index, follow
---

# CVE-2016-2785

Publication date 10 June 2016

Last updated 25 August 2025

---

Ubuntu priority

**Low**

[Why this priority?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#priority )

## Cvss 3 Severity Score

**9.8 · Critical**

[Score breakdown](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2016-2785?format=md#impact-score)

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## Description

Puppet Server before 2.3.2 and Ruby puppetmaster in Puppet 4.x before 4.4.2
and in Puppet Agent before 1.4.2 might allow remote attackers to bypass
intended auth.conf access restrictions by leveraging incorrect URL
decoding.

[Read the notes from the security team](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2016-2785?format=md#notes)

## Status

Show unmaintained releases

| Package | Ubuntu Release | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| puppet | 16.04 LTS xenial | Not affected |
| 15.10 wily | Not affected |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Not affected |
| 12.04 LTS precise | Not affected |

---

* [How can I get the fixes?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#security)
* [What do statuses mean?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#statuses)
* [Patch details](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2016-2785?format=md#patch-details)

## Notes

---

### [mdeslaur](https://launchpad.net/~mdeslaur)

only affects puppet 4.x

### Patch details

For informational purposes only. We recommend not to cherry-pick updates. [How can I get the fixes?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#security)

| Package | Patch details |
| --- | --- |
| puppet | * Upstream:   [6592a81](https://github.com/puppetlabs/puppet/commit/6592a8166572e5f1b7d058474059b8519ec81387) * Upstream:   <https://github.com/puppetlabs/puppet/pull/4921> |

## Severity score breakdown

CVSS version:
CVSS v3.0

**Base score**

9.8 · Critical

* Base metrics

  | Parameter | Value |
  | --- | --- |
  | Attack vector | Network |
  | Attack complexity | Low |
  | Privileges required | None |
  | User interaction | None |
  | Scope | Unchanged |
  | Confidentiality impact | High |
  | Integrity impact | High |
  | Availability impact | High |
* Scores

  | Parameter | Value |
  | --- | --- |
  | Base score | 9.8 · Critical |
  | Exploitability score | - |
  | Impact score | - |

**Vector:** CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

## References

* [MITRE](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2016-2785)
* [NVD](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-2785)
* [Launchpad](https://launchpad.net/bugs/cve/CVE-2016-2785)
* [Debian](https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2016-2785)

### Other references

* <https://puppet.com/security/cve/cve-2016-2785>
* <https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-2785>