How severe is CVE-2016-3959?

CVE-2016-3959 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 none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2016-3959 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-2016-3959?

CVE-2016-3959 primarily affects Golang Go. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-3959?

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-2016-3959 published?

CVE-2016-3959 was published on 2016-05-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-3959

CVE-2016-3959 is a high-severity vulnerability in Golang Go with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. 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-20.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 4% (90th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
Affected product: Golang Go
Published: 2016-05-23
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The Verify function in crypto/dsa/dsa.go in Go before 1.5.4 and 1.6.x before 1.6.1 does not properly check parameters passed to the big integer library, which might allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite loop) via a crafted public key to a program that uses HTTPS client certificates or SSH server libraries.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-3959?: The Verify function in crypto/dsa/dsa.go in Go before 1.5.4 and 1.6.x before 1.6.1 does not properly check parameters passed to the big integer library, which might allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite loop) via a crafted public key to a program that uses HTTPS client certificates or SSH server libraries.
How severe is CVE-2016-3959?: CVE-2016-3959 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 none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2016-3959 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-2016-3959?: CVE-2016-3959 primarily affects Golang Go. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-3959?: 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-2016-3959 published?: CVE-2016-3959 was published on 2016-05-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (6)

cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:leap:42.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:golang:go:1.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:22:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:23:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:24:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:golang:go:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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