# CVE-2016-5195: Linux Kernel Race Condition Vulnerability

> CVE-2016-5195: Linux Kernel Race Condition Vulnerability. CVSS 7.0 (CVSS 3.1), in CISA KEV.

Canonical: https://rewindex.com/cve/CVE-2016-5195
Last updated: 2025-11-04T16:09:08Z

- Published: 2016-11-10 21:00 UTC · Updated: 2025-11-04 16:09 UTC · Assigner: Chrome
- CVSS: 7.0 (CVSS 3.1) · Severity: High · Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS: 83.5%, 100th percentile (scored 2026-10-25)
- CISA KEV: yes, added 2022-03-03, federal due date 2022-03-24, ransomware use: Unknown

## Description

Race condition in mm/gup.c in the Linux kernel 2.x through 4.x before 4.8.3 allows local users to gain privileges by leveraging incorrect handling of a copy-on-write (COW) feature to write to a read-only memory mapping, as exploited in the wild in October 2016, aka "Dirty COW."

## CISA required action

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

## Affected vendors and products

- Linux: Kernel

## References

- [CVE record on cve.org](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-5195)
- [NVD entry](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-5195)
- [http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=19be0eaffa3ac7d8eb6784ad9bdbc7d67ed8e619](http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=19be0eaffa3ac7d8eb6784ad9bdbc7d67ed8e619)
- [http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2098.html](http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2098.html)
- [http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2106.html](http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2106.html)
- [http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2107.html](http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2107.html)
- [http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2118.html](http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2118.html)
- [http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2120.html](http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2120.html)
- [http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2124.html](http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2124.html)
- [http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2127.html](http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2127.html)
- [http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2128.html](http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2128.html)
- [http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2133.html](http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2133.html)
- [https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:0372](https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:0372)
- [https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/cve-2016-5195](https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/cve-2016-5195)
- [https://access.redhat.com/security/vulnerabilities/2706661](https://access.redhat.com/security/vulnerabilities/2706661)
- [https://bto.bluecoat.com/security-advisory/sa134](https://bto.bluecoat.com/security-advisory/sa134)
- [https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show\_bug.cgi?id=1384344](https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1384344)
- [https://bugzilla.suse.com/show\_bug.cgi?id=1004418](https://bugzilla.suse.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1004418)
- [https://dirtycow.ninja](https://dirtycow.ninja)
- [https://github.com/dirtycow/dirtycow.github.io/wiki/PoCs](https://github.com/dirtycow/dirtycow.github.io/wiki/PoCs)
- [https://github.com/dirtycow/dirtycow.github.io/wiki/VulnerabilityDetails](https://github.com/dirtycow/dirtycow.github.io/wiki/VulnerabilityDetails)
- [https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/19be0eaffa3ac7d8eb6784ad9bdbc7d67ed8e619](https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/19be0eaffa3ac7d8eb6784ad9bdbc7d67ed8e619)
- [https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docLocale=en\_US&docId=emr\_na-hpesbgn03722en\_us](https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docLocale=en_US&docId=emr_na-hpesbgn03722en_us)
- [https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docLocale=en\_US&docId=emr\_na-hpesbgn03742en\_us](https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docLocale=en_US&docId=emr_na-hpesbgn03742en_us)
- [https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docLocale=en\_US&docId=emr\_na-hpesbgn03761en\_us](https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docLocale=en_US&docId=emr_na-hpesbgn03761en_us)
- [https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/portal/site/hpsc/public/kb/docDisplay?docId=emr\_na-c05347541](https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/portal/site/hpsc/public/kb/docDisplay?docId=emr_na-c05347541)
- [https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/portal/site/hpsc/public/kb/docDisplay?docId=emr\_na-c05352241](https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/portal/site/hpsc/public/kb/docDisplay?docId=emr_na-c05352241)
- [https://help.ecostruxureit.com/display/public/UADCO8x/StruxureWare+Data+Center+Operation+Software+Vulnerability+Fixes](https://help.ecostruxureit.com/display/public/UADCO8x/StruxureWare+Data+Center+Operation+Software+Vulnerability+Fixes)
- [https://people.canonical.com/~ubuntu-security/cve/2016/CVE-2016-5195.html](https://people.canonical.com/~ubuntu-security/cve/2016/CVE-2016-5195.html)
- [https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20161025-0001/](https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20161025-0001/)
- [https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2016-5195](https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2016-5195)
- [https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/2016-11-01.html](https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/2016-11-01.html)
- [https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/2016-12-01.html](https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/2016-12-01.html)
- [https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40611/](https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40611/)
- [https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40616/](https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40616/)
- [https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40839/](https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40839/)
- [https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40847/](https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40847/)
- [https://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/243144](https://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/243144)
- [http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/10/26/7](http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/10/26/7)
- [http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/security-advisory/cpujul2018-4258247.html](http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/security-advisory/cpujul2018-4258247.html)
- [http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/93793](http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/93793)
- [http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1037078](http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1037078)

---

_Sources: CVE records from the CVE Program (cve.org). CVE® is a registered trademark of The MITRE Corporation. (https://www.cve.org/) This product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. (https://nvd.nist.gov/) Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog from CISA. (https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog) EPSS scores from FIRST (Exploit Prediction Scoring System). (https://www.first.org/epss/)_


---
Canonical: https://rewindex.com/cve/CVE-2016-5195 · Markdown: https://rewindex.com/cve/CVE-2016-5195.md · JSON: https://rewindex.com/api/v1/cves/CVE-2016-5195 · Data licensed CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) · Generated 2026-10-26T02:02:09.610Z