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PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2016-7973 Tcpdump CVE debrief

CVE-2016-7973 is a critical memory-corruption issue in tcpdump’s AppleTalk parser. The supplied record says the bug is in print-atalk.c across multiple functions, and NVD scores it 9.8 because it can be triggered without privileges or user interaction. Treat any affected tcpdump deployment as urgent to patch.

Vendor
Tcpdump
Product
Unknown
CVSS
CRITICAL 9.8
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2017-01-28
Original CVE updated
2026-05-13
Advisory published
2017-01-28
Advisory updated
2026-05-13

Who should care

Administrators, distro maintainers, and security teams responsible for systems running tcpdump prior to the fixed release should prioritize this CVE, especially where tcpdump may process externally supplied packet data or capture files.

Technical summary

The supplied description identifies a buffer overflow in tcpdump’s AppleTalk parser in print-atalk.c, affecting multiple functions. NVD classifies the weakness as CWE-119 and lists tcpdump versions through 4.8.1 as vulnerable in the CPE data, while the description text says the issue affects versions before 4.9.0. The CVSS 3.0 vector is AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, indicating a high-impact flaw with no privileges or user interaction required.

Defensive priority

Immediate

Recommended defensive actions

  • Upgrade tcpdump to a fixed release as soon as possible; the supplied description indicates the issue is addressed in 4.9.0 and later.
  • Inventory all hosts, containers, and appliances that include tcpdump, including vendor-packaged or backported builds, so no vulnerable copy is missed.
  • If you cannot patch immediately, minimize or suspend use of tcpdump on untrusted packet data and restrict access to systems that run it.
  • Check distro guidance and backport status for Debian DSA-3775, Red Hat RHSA-2017:1871, and Gentoo GLSA 201702-30 to confirm the exact remediation for your platform.

Evidence notes

Evidence comes from the supplied CVE/NVD corpus. The CVE was published on 2017-01-28. NVD marks the weakness as CWE-119 and gives a CVSS 3.0 score of 9.8 with AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. The supplied description says tcpdump before 4.9.0 is affected, while the NVD CPE range lists vulnerable versions through 4.8.1; treat the exact cutoff as something to verify against vendor or distro advisories. No KEV entry was supplied.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2016-7973 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-7973

    CVE Program - Official CVE Program record with source-provided CVE metadata.

  • CVE-2016-7973 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-7973

    NIST National Vulnerability Database - Official NIST NVD detail page and source-specific vulnerability assessment.

Supplemental references

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.