CVE-2016-3956

Name: CVE-2016-3956
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2016-07-02T14:59:19.417+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

HIGHCVSS 7.5/10EPSS 6.75%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2016-3956 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 7.5/10 on the CVSS scale. The CLI in npm before 2.15.1 and 3.x before 3.8.3, as used in Node.js 0.10 before 0.10.44, 0.12 before 0.12.13, 4 before 4.4.2, and 5 before 5.10.0, includes bearer tokens with arbitrary requests, which allows remote HTTP servers to obtain sensitive information by reading Authorization headers.. EPSS estimates a 6.75% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

The CLI in npm before 2.15.1 and 3.x before 3.8.3, as used in Node.js 0.10 before 0.10.44, 0.12 before 0.12.13, 4 before 4.4.2, and 5 before 5.10.0, includes bearer tokens with arbitrary requests, which allows remote HTTP servers to obtain sensitive information by reading Authorization headers.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.5/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

EPSS Probability

6.75%

93.1th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-200

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions	Update
Ibm	Sdk	<= 1.1.0.20	—
Ibm	Sdk	<= 1.2.0.10	—
Ibm	Sdk	<= 4.4.1.0	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.0	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.1	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.2	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.3	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.4	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.5	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.6	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.7	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.8	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.9	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.10	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.11	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.12	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.13	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.14	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.15	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.16	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.16-isaacs-manual	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.17	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.18	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.19	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.20	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.21	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.22	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.23	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.24	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.25	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.26	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.27	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.28	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.29	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.30	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.31	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.32	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.33	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.34	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.35	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.36	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.37	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.38	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.39	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.40	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.10.41	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.12.0	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.12.1	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.12.2	—
Nodejs	Node.Js	0.12.3	—

Showing 50 of 89 affected configurations. See NVD for the full list.

References

http://blog.npmjs.org/post/142036323955/fixing-a-bearer-token-vulnerabilityVendor Advisory
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21980827Vendor Advisory
https://github.com/npm/npm/commit/f67ecad59e99a03e5aad8e93cd1a086ae087cb29Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/npm/npm/commit/fea8cc92cee02c720b58f95f14d315507ccad401Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/npm/npm/issues/8380Third Party Advisory
https://nodejs.org/en/blog/vulnerability/npm-tokens-leak-march-2016/Vendor Advisory
http://blog.npmjs.org/post/142036323955/fixing-a-bearer-token-vulnerabilityVendor Advisory
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21980827Vendor Advisory
https://github.com/npm/npm/commit/f67ecad59e99a03e5aad8e93cd1a086ae087cb29Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/npm/npm/commit/fea8cc92cee02c720b58f95f14d315507ccad401Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/npm/npm/issues/8380Third Party Advisory
https://nodejs.org/en/blog/vulnerability/npm-tokens-leak-march-2016/Vendor Advisory

Timeline

Published: Jul 2, 2016
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2016-3956?

How severe is CVE-2016-3956?

CVE-2016-3956 has a CVSS score of 7.5/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 6.75% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2016-3956?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2016-3956?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST