CVE-2016-6515

7.5 HIGH 59% exploit odds Fix listed Denial of service

What it is

The auth_password function in auth-passwd.c in sshd in OpenSSH before 7.3 does not limit password lengths for password authentication, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crypt CPU consumption) via a long string.

At a glance

Exploitability: Can be exploited over the network without logging in. High risk of service disruption.
Exploit odds: 58.6% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days (EPSS). Higher than most.
Fix: A patch, advisory or fixed version is referenced. Upgrade or apply it.

Timeline

2016-08-07 21:59 UTC PublishedDisclosed publicly on CVE.org and NVD
2026-06-17 00:51 UTC Last updatedMost recent change to the record

Why it ranks here

Exploited in the wild: no, CISA does not list it.
Exploit odds: 58.6% in the next 30 days (EPSS).
Severity: 7.5 HIGH (CVSS).
Fix: a patch or advisory is linked.

Details

Published: 2016-08-07 21:59 UTC
Last modified: 2026-06-17 00:51 UTC
Exploit probability: 58.6% · EPSS, next 30 days
Weakness: CWE-20 · Improper input validation
Record status: Modified

Affected

Openbsd OpenSSH ≤ 7.2
Fedoraproject Fedora 24

Attack profile CVSS 3.0 · 7.5

Attack vector: Network
Complexity: Low
Privileges needed: None
User interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: None
Integrity: None
Availability: High

Raw vector

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Is it in your code?

Hand this to your coding agent. It searches your project for the affected products and checks versions. Nothing leaves your machine.

Read https://cve-list.com/agent/cve/CVE-2016-6515.md and follow it. Check whether this project is affected by CVE-2016-6515. Read only. Don't change anything and don't upload my code. Tell me yes, no or not sure, with the file as proof.

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Fix and advisories

References

NVD record · CVE.org record