CVE-2016-1880 Freebsd CVE debrief

Who should care

FreeBSD administrators, security teams, and operators of systems that enable the Linux compatibility layer should treat this as a kernel-level local attack surface issue. Systems running the affected FreeBSD releases are the primary concern.

Technical summary

The vulnerability is described as a Linux compatibility layer defect in the kernel related to Linux futex robust list handling. NVD classifies the impact as local, low-complexity, and requiring low privileges, with confidentiality, integrity, and availability all rated high in the CVSS vector. The published description indicates that a local user may read kernel memory and may potentially gain privilege through unspecified vectors. No exploit mechanics are included in the supplied corpus.

Defensive priority

High priority for affected FreeBSD systems because the issue is in kernel code and can expose kernel memory and possibly enable privilege escalation from a local account.

Recommended defensive actions

• Verify whether any hosts run FreeBSD 9.3, 10.1, or 10.2 and whether the Linux compatibility layer is enabled.
• Apply the vendor remediation referenced in FreeBSD-SA-16:03.linux for affected systems.
• Prioritize patching or upgrading systems that allow untrusted local users, shared hosting, or multi-user access.
• Review host hardening and local access controls while remediation is pending.
• Use the official NVD and FreeBSD advisory records to confirm remediation status for each asset.

Evidence notes

The supplied NVD record states that CVE-2016-1880 was published on 2017-02-15 and last modified on 2026-05-13. It lists affected CPEs for FreeBSD 9.3, 10.1, and 10.2 and references the FreeBSD vendor advisory FreeBSD-SA-16:03.linux. The CVSS vector provided by NVD is CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. This debrief avoids unsupported remediation details beyond the referenced vendor advisory.

Official resources