CVE-2016-6606

CVE-2016-6606 is a high-severity vulnerability in Phpmyadmin with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.1. 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-200.

Key facts

Description

An issue was discovered in cookie encryption in phpMyAdmin. The decryption of the username/password is vulnerable to a padding oracle attack. This can allow an attacker who has access to a user's browser cookie file to decrypt the username and password. Furthermore, the same initialization vector (IV) is used to hash the username and password stored in the phpMyAdmin cookie. If a user has the same password as their username, an attacker who examines the browser cookie can see that they are the same - but the attacker can not directly decode these values from the cookie as it is still hashed. All 4.6.x versions (prior to 4.6.4), 4.4.x versions (prior to 4.4.15.8), and 4.0.x versions (prior to 4.0.10.17) are affected.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-6606?
An issue was discovered in cookie encryption in phpMyAdmin. The decryption of the username/password is vulnerable to a padding oracle attack. This can allow an attacker who has access to a user's browser cookie file to decrypt the username and password. Furthermore, the same initialization vector (IV) is used to hash the username and password stored in the phpMyAdmin cookie. If a user has the same password as their username, an attacker who examines the browser cookie can see that they are the same - but the attacker can not directly decode these values from the cookie as it is still hashed. All 4.6.x versions (prior to 4.6.4), 4.4.x versions (prior to 4.4.15.8), and 4.0.x versions (prior to 4.0.10.17) are affected.
How severe is CVE-2016-6606?
CVE-2016-6606 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2016-6606 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (69th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-6606?
CVE-2016-6606 primarily affects Phpmyadmin. In total, 60 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-6606?
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-2016-6606 published?
CVE-2016-6606 was published on 2016-12-11 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (60)

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