How severe is CVE-2016-7420?

CVE-2016-7420 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 high, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2016-7420 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (81st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-7420?

CVE-2016-7420 affects Cryptopp Crypto++. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-7420?

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

When was CVE-2016-7420 published?

CVE-2016-7420 was published on 2016-09-16 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-7420

CVE-2016-7420 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Cryptopp Crypto++ with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.9. 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

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.9)
CVSS v2: 4.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (81st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-200
Affected product: Cryptopp Crypto++
Published: 2016-09-16
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Crypto++ (aka cryptopp) through 5.6.4 does not document the requirement for a compile-time NDEBUG definition disabling the many assert calls that are unintended in production use, which might allow context-dependent attackers to obtain sensitive information by leveraging access to process memory after an assertion failure, as demonstrated by reading a core dump.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-7420?: Crypto++ (aka cryptopp) through 5.6.4 does not document the requirement for a compile-time NDEBUG definition disabling the many assert calls that are unintended in production use, which might allow context-dependent attackers to obtain sensitive information by leveraging access to process memory after an assertion failure, as demonstrated by reading a core dump.
How severe is CVE-2016-7420?: CVE-2016-7420 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 high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2016-7420 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (81st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-7420?: CVE-2016-7420 affects Cryptopp Crypto++. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-7420?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2016-7420 published?: CVE-2016-7420 was published on 2016-09-16 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:cryptopp:crypto\+\+:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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