CVE-2016-2842

CVE-2016-2842 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Openssl with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 54% places it in the 99th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-119.

Key facts

Description

The doapr_outch function in crypto/bio/b_print.c in OpenSSL 1.0.1 before 1.0.1s and 1.0.2 before 1.0.2g does not verify that a certain memory allocation succeeds, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds write or memory consumption) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a long string, as demonstrated by a large amount of ASN.1 data, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-0799.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-2842?
The doapr_outch function in crypto/bio/b_print.c in OpenSSL 1.0.1 before 1.0.1s and 1.0.2 before 1.0.2g does not verify that a certain memory allocation succeeds, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds write or memory consumption) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a long string, as demonstrated by a large amount of ASN.1 data, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-0799.
How severe is CVE-2016-2842?
CVE-2016-2842 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-2016-2842 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 54% (99th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-2842?
CVE-2016-2842 primarily affects Openssl. In total, 32 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-2842?
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-2016-2842 published?
CVE-2016-2842 was published on 2016-03-03 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (32)

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Other CWE-119 (Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer) vulnerabilities

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Threat intelligence

Threat-intel indicators referencing this CVE: