How severe is CVE-2014-4616?

CVE-2014-4616 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.9, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2014-4616 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 8% (94th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2014-4616?

CVE-2014-4616 primarily affects Python. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2014-4616?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2014-4616 published?

CVE-2014-4616 was published on 2017-08-24 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2014-4616

CVE-2014-4616 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Python with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.9. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-129.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.9)
CVSS v2: 4.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 8% (94th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-129
Affected product: Python
Published: 2017-08-24
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Array index error in the scanstring function in the _json module in Python 2.7 through 3.5 and simplejson before 2.6.1 allows context-dependent attackers to read arbitrary process memory via a negative index value in the idx argument to the raw_decode function.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2014-4616?: Array index error in the scanstring function in the _json module in Python 2.7 through 3.5 and simplejson before 2.6.1 allows context-dependent attackers to read arbitrary process memory via a negative index value in the idx argument to the raw_decode function.
How severe is CVE-2014-4616?: CVE-2014-4616 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.9, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2014-4616 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 8% (94th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2014-4616?: CVE-2014-4616 primarily affects Python. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2014-4616?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2014-4616 published?: CVE-2014-4616 was published on 2017-08-24 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (4)

cpe:2.3:a:python:python:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:simplejson_project:simplejson:*:*:*:*:*:python:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:opensuse:13.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:opensuse_project:opensuse:12.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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Threat intelligence

Threat-intel indicators referencing this CVE:

203.192.232.180 (ipv4-addr)
177.53.215.134 (ipv4-addr)
5.99.196.202 (ipv4-addr)
121.164.135.251 (ipv4-addr)