HIGH CVSS 8.1
Published: 2017-07-03

CVE-2016-3998

netapp altavault Security Advisory (CVE-2016-3998)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2016-3998 impacting netapp altavault. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 8.1 (HIGH).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
NetApp AltaVault 4.1 and earlier allows man-in-the-middle attackers to obtain sensitive information, gain privileges, or cause a denial of service via vectors related to the SMB protocol.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Attack Complexity
High (AC:H)
Depends on race conditions or environment
Privileges Required
None (PR:N)
Unauthenticated execution
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
High (C:H)
Total information disclosure
Integrity
High (I:H)
Total modification of target system
Availability
High (A:H)
Total denial of service or shutdown

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product netapp / altavault
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-264

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2016-3998 impacting netapp altavault.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2016-3998.yaml
id: cve-2016-3998

info:
  name: netapp altavault - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: high
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2016-3998 affecting netapp altavault.
    Evaluation: NetApp AltaVault 4.1 and earlier allows man-in-the-middle attackers to obtain sensitive information, gain privileges, or cause a denial of service via...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2016-3998
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    cvss-score: 8.1
    cve-id: CVE-2016-3998
    cwe-id: CWE-264
  tags: cve,cve-2016-3998,netapp,altavault,high

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "altavault"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2016-3998.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2016-3998
# Target: netapp altavault | CVSS: 8.1 (HIGH)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2016-3998 (netapp altavault)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against netapp altavault scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2016-3998.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2016-3998
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install altavault 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade altavault 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update altavault

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i altavault 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i altavault

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

🔗 Verified Technical References

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2016-3998 in netapp altavault?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update netapp altavault packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2016-3998?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2016-3998?

CVE-2016-3998 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 8.1 (HIGH). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
8.1
HIGH SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2016-3998
Weakness CWE-264
Vendor netapp
Product altavault
Published 2017-07-03
Vector CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H