CVE-2016-9939

Name: CVE-2016-9939
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2017-01-30T21:59:01.207+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

UnknownEPSS 4.20%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2016-9939 is a vulnerability of currently unknown severity. Crypto++ (aka cryptopp and libcrypto++) 5.6.4 contained a bug in its ASN.1 BER decoding routine. The library will allocate a memory block based on the length field of the ASN.1 object. EPSS estimates a 4.20% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

Crypto++ (aka cryptopp and libcrypto++) 5.6.4 contained a bug in its ASN.1 BER decoding routine. The library will allocate a memory block based on the length field of the ASN.1 object. If there is not enough content octets in the ASN.1 object, then the function will fail and the memory block will be zeroed even if its unused. There is a noticeable delay during the wipe for a large allocation.

Metrics

EPSS Probability

4.20%

89.7th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-20

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Cryptopp	Crypto\+\+	5.6.4
Debian	Debian Linux	8.0

References

http://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3748Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/12/12/7Mailing List, Patch, Third Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/94854Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/7IL5A6465IEPW5GAWGXB2ENJPFYVWTJM/
http://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3748Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/12/12/7Mailing List, Patch, Third Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/94854Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/7IL5A6465IEPW5GAWGXB2ENJPFYVWTJM/

Timeline

Published: Jan 30, 2017
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2016-9939?

How severe is CVE-2016-9939?

Severity scoring for CVE-2016-9939 is pending analysis. The EPSS model estimates a 4.20% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2016-9939?

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-2016-9939?

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

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Source: NVD / NIST