How severe is CVE-2016-4008?

CVE-2016-4008 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 none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2016-4008 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 30% (98th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-4008?

CVE-2016-4008 primarily affects Gnu Libtasn1. In total, 9 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-4008?

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

When was CVE-2016-4008 published?

CVE-2016-4008 was published on 2016-05-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-4008

CVE-2016-4008 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Gnu Libtasn1 with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.9. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 30% places it in the 98th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-399.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.9)
CVSS v2: 4.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 30% (98th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-399
Affected product: Gnu Libtasn1
Published: 2016-05-05
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The _asn1_extract_der_octet function in lib/decoding.c in GNU Libtasn1 before 4.8, when used without the ASN1_DECODE_FLAG_STRICT_DER flag, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite recursion) via a crafted certificate.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-4008?: The _asn1_extract_der_octet function in lib/decoding.c in GNU Libtasn1 before 4.8, when used without the ASN1_DECODE_FLAG_STRICT_DER flag, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite recursion) via a crafted certificate.
How severe is CVE-2016-4008?: CVE-2016-4008 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 none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2016-4008 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 30% (98th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-4008?: CVE-2016-4008 primarily affects Gnu Libtasn1. In total, 9 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-4008?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2016-4008 published?: CVE-2016-4008 was published on 2016-05-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (9)

cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:12.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:15.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:opensuse:13.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:gnu:libtasn1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:22:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:23:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:24:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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Other CWE-399 (Resource Management Errors) vulnerabilities

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CVE-2015-0339 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.277 and 14.x through 17.x before 17.0.0.134 on Windows and OS X and before…
CVE-2015-0335 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.277 and 14.x through 17.x before 17.0.0.134 on Windows and OS X and before…
CVE-2015-0333 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.277 and 14.x through 17.x before 17.0.0.134 on Windows and OS X and before…
CVE-2014-4121 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 SP2, 3.5, 3.5.1, 4, 4.5, 4.5.1, and 4.5.2 does not properly parse internationalized…
CVE-2014-0560 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 10.x before 10.1.12 and 11.x before 11.0.09 on Windows and OS…

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