How severe is CVE-2008-0166?

CVE-2008-0166 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2008-0166 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 71% (99th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2008-0166?

CVE-2008-0166 primarily affects Openssl. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2008-0166?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2008-0166 published?

CVE-2008-0166 was published on 2008-05-13 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2008-0166

CVE-2008-0166 is a high-severity vulnerability in Openssl with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 71% places it in the 99th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-338.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 7.8
EPSS exploit prediction: 71% (99th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-338
Affected product: Openssl
Published: 2008-05-13
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

OpenSSL 0.9.8c-1 up to versions before 0.9.8g-9 on Debian-based operating systems uses a random number generator that generates predictable numbers, which makes it easier for remote attackers to conduct brute force guessing attacks against cryptographic keys.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2008-0166?: OpenSSL 0.9.8c-1 up to versions before 0.9.8g-9 on Debian-based operating systems uses a random number generator that generates predictable numbers, which makes it easier for remote attackers to conduct brute force guessing attacks against cryptographic keys.
How severe is CVE-2008-0166?: CVE-2008-0166 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2008-0166 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 71% (99th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2008-0166?: CVE-2008-0166 primarily affects Openssl. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2008-0166?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2008-0166 published?: CVE-2008-0166 was published on 2008-05-13 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (6)

cpe:2.3:a:openssl:openssl:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:6.06:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:7.04:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:7.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:8.04:*:*:*:-:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Openssl

CVE-2009-3245 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): OpenSSL before 0.9.8m does not check for a NULL return value from bn_wexpand function calls in (1) crypto/bn/bn_div.c,…
CVE-2006-3738 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Buffer overflow in the SSL_get_shared_ciphers function in OpenSSL 0.9.7 before 0.9.7l, 0.9.8 before 0.9.8d, and earlier…
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CVE-2021-3711 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): In order to decrypt SM2 encrypted data an application is expected to call the API function EVP_PKEY_decrypt().…
CVE-2016-6309 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): statem/statem.c in OpenSSL 1.1.0a does not consider memory-block movement after a realloc call, which allows remote…

All CVEs affecting Openssl →

Other CWE-338 vulnerabilities

CVE-2026-56141 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): In JetBrains Hub before 2026.1.13757, 2025.3.148033, 2025.2.148048, 2025.1.148120, 2024.3.148430, 2024.2.148429 account…
CVE-2026-3256 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): HTTP::Session versions before 0.54 for Perl defaults to using insecurely generated session ids. HTTP::Session defaults…
CVE-2025-15604 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Amon2 versions before 6.17 for Perl use an insecure random_string implementation for security functions. In versions…
CVE-2025-40926 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Plack::Middleware::Session::Simple versions before 0.05 for Perl generates session ids insecurely. The default session…
CVE-2026-2439 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Concierge::Sessions versions from 0.8.1 before 0.8.5 for Perl generate insecure session ids. The generate_session_id…
CVE-2025-15578 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Maypole versions from 2.10 through 2.13 for Perl generates session ids insecurely. The session id is seeded with the…

Browse all CWE-338 vulnerabilities →

Threat intelligence

Threat-intel indicators referencing this CVE:

222.99.52.202 (ipv4-addr)
171.100.156.38 (ipv4-addr)