How severe is CVE-2016-6878?

CVE-2016-6878 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-2016-6878 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (65th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-6878?

CVE-2016-6878 affects Botan Project Botan. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-6878?

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-2016-6878 published?

CVE-2016-6878 was published on 2017-04-10 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-6878

CVE-2016-6878 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Botan Project Botan with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. 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: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 7.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (65th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
Affected product: Botan Project Botan
Published: 2017-04-10
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The Curve25519 code in botan before 1.11.31, on systems without a native 128-bit integer type, might allow attackers to have unspecified impact via vectors related to undefined behavior, as demonstrated on 32-bit ARM systems compiled by Clang.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-6878?: The Curve25519 code in botan before 1.11.31, on systems without a native 128-bit integer type, might allow attackers to have unspecified impact via vectors related to undefined behavior, as demonstrated on 32-bit ARM systems compiled by Clang.
How severe is CVE-2016-6878?: CVE-2016-6878 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-2016-6878 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (65th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-6878?: CVE-2016-6878 affects Botan Project Botan. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-6878?: 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-2016-6878 published?: CVE-2016-6878 was published on 2017-04-10 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://botan.randombit.net/security.html#id2

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:botan_project:botan:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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