How severe is CVE-2016-1252?

CVE-2016-1252 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 none, integrity high, and availability none.

Is CVE-2016-1252 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 7% (94th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-1252?

CVE-2016-1252 primarily affects Debian Advanced Package Tool. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-1252?

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

When was CVE-2016-1252 published?

CVE-2016-1252 was published on 2017-12-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-1252

CVE-2016-1252 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Debian Advanced Package Tool 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-295.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.9)
CVSS v2: 4.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 7% (94th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-295
Affected product: Debian Advanced Package Tool
Published: 2017-12-05
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The apt package in Debian jessie before 1.0.9.8.4, in Debian unstable before 1.4~beta2, in Ubuntu 14.04 LTS before 1.0.1ubuntu2.17, in Ubuntu 16.04 LTS before 1.2.15ubuntu0.2, and in Ubuntu 16.10 before 1.3.2ubuntu0.1 allows man-in-the-middle attackers to bypass a repository-signing protection mechanism by leveraging improper error handling when validating InRelease file signatures.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-1252?: The apt package in Debian jessie before 1.0.9.8.4, in Debian unstable before 1.4~beta2, in Ubuntu 14.04 LTS before 1.0.1ubuntu2.17, in Ubuntu 16.04 LTS before 1.2.15ubuntu0.2, and in Ubuntu 16.10 before 1.3.2ubuntu0.1 allows man-in-the-middle attackers to bypass a repository-signing protection mechanism by leveraging improper error handling when validating InRelease file signatures.
How severe is CVE-2016-1252?: CVE-2016-1252 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 none, integrity high, and availability none.
Is CVE-2016-1252 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 7% (94th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-1252?: CVE-2016-1252 primarily affects Debian Advanced Package Tool. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-1252?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2016-1252 published?: CVE-2016-1252 was published on 2017-12-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (4)

cpe:2.3:a:debian:advanced_package_tool:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:*:*:*:esm:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Debian Advanced Package Tool

CVE-2009-1358 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): apt-get in apt before 0.7.21 does not check for the correct error code from gpgv, which causes apt to treat a…
CVE-2009-1300 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): apt 0.7.20 does not check when the date command returns an "invalid date" error, which can prevent apt from loading…
CVE-2019-3462 — High (CVSS 8.1): Incorrect sanitation of the 302 redirect field in HTTP transport method of apt versions 1.4.8 and earlier can lead to…
CVE-2014-0490 — High (CVSS 7.5): The apt-get download command in APT before 1.0.9 does not properly validate signatures for packages, which allows…
CVE-2014-0489 — High (CVSS 7.5): APT before 1.0.9, when the Acquire::GzipIndexes option is enabled, does not validate checksums, which allows remote…
CVE-2014-0487 — High (CVSS 7.5): APT before 1.0.9 does not verify downloaded files if they have been modified as indicated using the If-Modified-Since…

All CVEs affecting Debian Advanced Package Tool →

Other CWE-295 (Improper Certificate Validation) vulnerabilities

CVE-2026-4370 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A vulnerability was identified in Juju from version 3.2.0 until 3.6.19 and from version 4.0 until 4.0.4, where the…
CVE-2026-30836 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Step CA is an online certificate authority for secure, automated certificate management for DevOps. Versions 0.30.0-rc6…
CVE-2025-68121 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): During session resumption in crypto/tls, if the underlying Config has its ClientCAs or RootCAs fields mutated between…
CVE-2022-20703 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Multiple vulnerabilities in Cisco Small Business RV160, RV260, RV340, and RV345 Series Routers could allow an attacker…
CVE-2021-1471 — Critical (CVSS 9.9): Multiple vulnerabilities in Cisco Jabber for Windows, Cisco Jabber for MacOS, and Cisco Jabber for mobile platforms…
CVE-2026-20184 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): A vulnerability in the integration of single sign-on (SSO) with Control Hub in Cisco Webex Services could have allowed…

Browse all CWE-295 (Improper Certificate Validation) vulnerabilities →