How severe is CVE-2015-8803?

CVE-2015-8803 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2015-8803 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (90th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2015-8803?

CVE-2015-8803 primarily affects Nettle Project Nettle. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2015-8803?

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

When was CVE-2015-8803 published?

CVE-2015-8803 was published on 2016-02-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2015-8803

CVE-2015-8803 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Nettle Project Nettle with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. 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-254.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 7.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 4% (90th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-254
Affected product: Nettle Project Nettle
Published: 2016-02-23
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The ecc_256_modp function in ecc-256.c in Nettle before 3.2 does not properly handle carry propagation and produces incorrect output in its implementation of the P-256 NIST elliptic curve, which allows attackers to have unspecified impact via unknown vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-8805.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2015-8803?: The ecc_256_modp function in ecc-256.c in Nettle before 3.2 does not properly handle carry propagation and produces incorrect output in its implementation of the P-256 NIST elliptic curve, which allows attackers to have unspecified impact via unknown vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-8805.
How severe is CVE-2015-8803?: CVE-2015-8803 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2015-8803 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (90th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2015-8803?: CVE-2015-8803 primarily affects Nettle Project Nettle. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2015-8803?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2015-8803 published?: CVE-2015-8803 was published on 2016-02-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (6)

cpe:2.3:a:nettle_project:nettle:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:15.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:leap:42.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:opensuse:13.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:opensuse:13.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Nettle Project Nettle

CVE-2023-36660 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): The OCB feature in libnettle in Nettle 3.9 before 3.9.1 allows memory corruption.
CVE-2015-8805 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): The ecc_256_modq function in ecc-256.c in Nettle before 3.2 does not properly handle carry propagation and produces…
CVE-2015-8804 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): x86_64/ecc-384-modp.asm in Nettle before 3.2 does not properly handle carry propagation and produces incorrect output…
CVE-2021-20305 — High (CVSS 8.1): A flaw was found in Nettle in versions before 3.7.2, where several Nettle signature verification functions (GOST DSA,…
CVE-2021-3580 — High (CVSS 7.5): A flaw was found in the way nettle's RSA decryption functions handled specially crafted ciphertext. An attacker could…
CVE-2016-6489 — High (CVSS 7.5): The RSA and DSA decryption code in Nettle makes it easier for attackers to discover private keys via a cache side…

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