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Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2016-15059

🗓️ 23 Sep 2026 00:00:00Reported by TenableType 
nessus
 nessus
🔗 www.tenable.com👁 5 Views

Net::IDN::Punycode before 2.301 heap buffer overflow via unchecked writes in XS backend.

Related
Refs
Code
ReporterTitlePublishedViews
Family
circl
Circl
CVE-2016-15059
22 Sep 202616:00
circl
cve
CVE
CVE-2016-15059
22 Sep 202607:18
cve
cvelist
Cvelist
CVE-2016-15059 Net::IDN::Punycode versions before 2.301 for Perl allow a heap buffer overflow via unchecked writes past the output buffer in encode_punycode
22 Sep 202607:18
cvelist
debiancve
Debian CVE
CVE-2016-15059
22 Sep 202607:18
debiancve
euvd
EUVD
EUVD-2016-10912
22 Sep 202607:18
euvd
nvd
NVD
CVE-2016-15059
22 Sep 202608:16
nvd
osv
OSV
DEBIAN-CVE-2016-15059
22 Sep 202608:16
osv
osv
OSV
UBUNTU-CVE-2016-15059
22 Sep 202600:00
osv
redhatcve
RedhatCVE
CVE-2016-15059
23 Sep 202619:39
redhatcve
ubuntucve
UbuntuCve
CVE-2016-15059
22 Sep 202600:00
ubuntucve
Rows per page
#%NASL_MIN_LEVEL 80900
##
# (C) Tenable, Inc.
##

include('compat.inc');

if (description)
{
  script_id(349115);
  script_version("1.1");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_modification_date", value:"2026/09/23");

  script_cve_id("CVE-2016-15059");

  script_name(english:"Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2016-15059");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"synopsis", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed with a vulnerability that the vendor indicates will not be
patched.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"description", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed that are impacted by a vulnerability without a vendor supplied
patch available.

  - Net::IDN::Punycode versions before 2.301 for Perl allow a heap buffer overflow via unchecked writes past
    the output buffer in encode_punycode. The XS backend builds the encoded label in the string buffer of the
    scalar it returns, sized from the input length. The loop that emits the digits of each code point checks
    for room before every write, but the write of the last digit of each round and the write of the
    terminating NUL do not, so an input whose encoded form fills the buffer writes past its end. Only the XS
    backend is affected. Encoding an attacker-supplied string corrupts the heap. (CVE-2016-15059)

Note that Nessus relies on the presence of the package as reported by the vendor.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2016-15059");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"solution", value:
"There is no known solution at this time.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"agent", value:"unix");
  script_set_cvss_base_vector("CVSS2#AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P");
  script_set_cvss_temporal_vector("CVSS2#E:U/RL:U/RC:C");
  script_set_cvss3_base_vector("CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H");
  script_set_cvss3_temporal_vector("CVSS:3.0/E:U/RL:U/RC:C");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss_score_source", value:"CVE-2016-15059");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploitability_ease", value:"No known exploits are available");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploit_available", value:"false");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vendor_unpatched", value:"true");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vuln_publication_date", value:"2026/09/22");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_publication_date", value:"2026/09/23");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_type", value:"local");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:20.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:libnet-idn-encode-perl");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"generated_plugin", value:"current");
  script_end_attributes();

  script_category(ACT_GATHER_INFO);
  script_family(english:"Misc.");

  script_copyright(english:"This script is Copyright (C) 2026 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.");

  script_dependencies("ssh_get_info2.nasl", "set_linux_os_id.nasl");
  script_require_keys("Host/cpu", "Host/local_checks_enabled", "global_settings/vendor_unpatched", "Host/OS/identifier");
  script_require_ports("Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-16.04", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-18.04", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-20.04");

  exit(0);
}

if (!get_kb_item("global_settings/vendor_unpatched")) exit(0, "Unpatched Vulnerabilities Detection not active.");
if (!get_kb_item("Host/local_checks_enabled")) audit(AUDIT_LOCAL_CHECKS_NOT_ENABLED);
if (empty_or_null(get_one_kb_item("Host/Debian/dpkg-l"))) audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_LIST_MISSING);

include('linux_unpatched.inc');

var distro_constraints_array = {
  "Ubuntu Linux-16.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "16.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "libnet-idn-encode-perl"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-18.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "18.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "libnet-idn-encode-perl"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-20.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "20.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "libnet-idn-encode-perl"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
};

var distro_constraints_values = linux_unpatched::get_distro_constraints(distro_constraints_arr:distro_constraints_array);
if (empty_or_null(distro_constraints_values)) audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');

var third_party_support = get_kb_item('Host/OS/extended-third-party');
if (!empty_or_null(third_party_support)) {
    var third_party_vendors = distro_constraints_values['third_party'];
    if (!empty_or_null(third_party_vendors)) {
        var vendor;
        foreach vendor (third_party_vendors) {
            if (vendor == third_party_support) exit(0, 'A third party management patch is available for this vulnerability from ' + vendor + '.\n');
        }
    }
}

var report = linux_unpatched::check_unpatched_constraints(distro_constraints_values:distro_constraints_values);

if (!empty_or_null(report))
{
  security_report_v4(
      port       : 0,
      severity   : SECURITY_WARNING,
      extra      : report
  );
  exit(0);
}
else
{
  audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');
}

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23 Sep 2026 00:00Current
6.2Medium risk
Vulners AI Score6.2
CVSS 3.19.8
EPSS0.00401
SSVC
5