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CVE-2016-3052 IBM CVE debrief

CVE-2016-3052 describes a confidentiality issue in IBM WebSphere MQ where, under non-standard configurations, password data may be transmitted in clear text over the network. If an attacker can observe or intercept that traffic, the password could be exposed through man-in-the-middle techniques. NVD rates the issue CVSS 3.0 5.9 (Medium) and lists affected WebSphere MQ versions through 8.0.0.5.

Vendor
IBM
Product
CVE-2016-3052
CVSS
MEDIUM 5.9
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2017-02-22
Original CVE updated
2026-05-13
Advisory published
2017-02-22
Advisory updated
2026-05-13

Who should care

IBM WebSphere MQ administrators, application owners, identity and access teams, and network defenders who manage MQ deployments or any environment where MQ credentials may traverse untrusted networks.

Technical summary

NVD classifies this as CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor). The vulnerability is tied to non-standard configuration states in IBM WebSphere MQ where password data can be sent in clear text, creating a network-interception risk. The NVD record lists CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N and indicates vulnerable WebSphere MQ versions up to 8.0.0.5. The primary impact is credential confidentiality, not integrity or availability.

Defensive priority

Medium. Prioritize if MQ credentials traverse less-trusted networks or if you rely on older WebSphere MQ deployments. Because the issue can expose passwords, remediation is more urgent in environments with broad network exposure or shared administrative access.

Recommended defensive actions

  • Review the IBM security advisory for the vendor-recommended fix and apply the relevant patch or update.
  • Inventory WebSphere MQ installations and confirm whether any instance is at or below the affected version range listed by NVD.
  • Check MQ configuration for any non-standard settings that could allow credentials to be transmitted without protection.
  • Restrict network exposure to MQ services and limit who can observe or relay MQ traffic.
  • Rotate any credentials that may have been exposed before remediation.
  • Validate that transport and authentication settings follow IBM guidance after patching.

Evidence notes

This debrief is based on the NVD record and IBM-linked vendor references supplied in the source corpus. The NVD record identifies the weakness as CWE-200 and provides the CVSS 3.0 vector and affected CPE criteria. IBM’s advisory reference is the primary vendor mitigation link in the corpus. The issue is described as conditional on non-standard configurations; the debrief does not assume exposure in standard deployments.

Official resources

Publicly published in NVD on 2017-02-22 and last modified on 2026-05-13. No KEV entry or ransomware-campaign association is listed in the supplied corpus.