Security Resilience

CVE-2016-3976

Path Traversal in Sap Netweaver Application Server Java 7.10 – 7.50

CISA KEVActive ExploitationEUVD ExploitedPublic PoCPath Traversal
Published
07 April 2016
Modified
21 April 2026
KEV Added
03 November 2021
CVSS Score v3.1 7.5
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
EPSS Score 0.47 99th percentile
Risk Priority 84 floored blend · peak EPSS

CVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.

Summary

CVE-2016-3976 is a high-severity Path Traversal (CWE-22) vulnerability in Sap Netweaver Application Server Java. Its CVSS base score is 7.5 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Data Obfuscation (T1001); ranked in the top 1% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

CVE-2016-3976 is a directory traversal vulnerability, tracked as CWE-22, that affects SAP NetWeaver AS Java versions 7.1 through 7.5. The flaw resides in CrashFileDownloadServlet and permits an attacker to supply a ..\ sequence in the fileName parameter, enabling read access to arbitrary files on the underlying system. It carries a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 with a network attack vector and no required authentication or user interaction.

Remote unauthenticated attackers can exploit the issue over the network to retrieve sensitive files, resulting in high-impact confidentiality exposure while leaving integrity and availability unaffected. Public exploit code and proof-of-concept reports have been published that demonstrate file retrieval against the servlet endpoint.

SAP Security Note 2234971 addresses the vulnerability and is referenced by multiple disclosure sources as the official remediation channel; practitioners should apply the note according to SAP guidance to close the traversal vector.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

A01:2025 Broken Access Control

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

Directory traversal vulnerability in SAP NetWeaver AS Java 7.1 through 7.5 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via a ..\ (dot dot backslash) in the fileName parameter to CrashFileDownloadServlet, aka SAP Security Note 2234971.

CWE(s)
CWE-22
KEV Date Added
03 November 2021

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1001 Data Obfuscation Command And Control
Adversaries may obfuscate command and control traffic to make it more difficult to detect.
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.003 NTDS Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to access or create a copy of the Active Directory domain database in order to steal credential information, as well as obtain other information about domain members such as devices, users, and access rights.
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.004 LSA Secrets Credential Access
Adversaries with SYSTEM access to a host may attempt to access Local Security Authority (LSA) secrets, which can contain a variety of different credential materials, such as credentials for service accounts.
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.006 DCSync Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to access credentials and other sensitive information by abusing a Windows Domain Controller's application programming interface (API)(Citation: Microsoft DRSR Dec 2017) (Citation: Microsoft GetNCCChanges) (Citati…
attack.mitre.org →
T1016.001 Internet Connection Discovery Discovery
Adversaries may check for Internet connectivity on compromised systems.
attack.mitre.org →
T1018 Remote System Discovery Discovery
Adversaries may attempt to get a listing of other systems by IP address, hostname, or other logical identifier on a network that may be used for Lateral Movement from the current system.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2017-12637Same product: Sap Netweaver Application Server Javaboth on KEV
CVE-2021-38163Same vendor: Sapboth on KEV
CVE-2018-2380Same vendor: Sapboth on KEV
CVE-2023-27500Same vendor: Sap
CVE-2023-33989Same vendor: Sap
CVE-2023-49058Same vendor: Sap
CVE-2023-29186Same vendor: Sap
CVE-2025-42894Same vendor: Sap
CVE-2023-27501Same vendor: Sap
CVE-2023-27269Same vendor: Sap

Affected Assets

sap
netweaver application server java
7.10 — 7.50

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)

—

Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V5.3.2

Likely Mitigating Controls AI

Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.

SI-10 Information Input Validation
addresses: CWE-22

Validates pathnames and filenames to prevent traversal outside intended directories.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-02 partial match
blocks

Patching/maintenance can remediate known path-traversal flaws in deployed software (partial prevention of exploitability) but does nothing to stop the coding defect from being introduced in the first place.

PR.AA-05 none match
blocks

PR.AA-05 defines and reviews access policies but does not address code-level pathname neutralization, so neither direction prevents CWE-22.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

A.5.14 Information transfer partial match
removes
A.5.15 Access control partial match
removes
A.5.16 Identity management partial match
removes
A.5.17 Authentication information partial match
removes
A.5.18 Access rights partial match
removes
A.8.10 Information deletion partial match
removes

References