CVE-2016-9243
CVE-2016-9243 is a high-severity vulnerability in Cryptography.io Cryptography 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.
Key facts
- Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
- CVSS v2: 5.0
- EPSS exploit prediction: 3% (87th percentile)
- Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
- Affected product: Cryptography.io Cryptography
- Published:
- Last modified:
Description
HKDF in cryptography before 1.5.2 returns an empty byte-string if used with a length less than algorithm.digest_size.
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2016-9243?
- HKDF in cryptography before 1.5.2 returns an empty byte-string if used with a length less than algorithm.digest_size.
- How severe is CVE-2016-9243?
- CVE-2016-9243 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 high, and availability none.
- Is CVE-2016-9243 being actively exploited?
- It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (87th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- What products are affected by CVE-2016-9243?
- CVE-2016-9243 primarily affects Cryptography.io Cryptography. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
- How do I fix CVE-2016-9243?
- 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-2016-9243 published?
- CVE-2016-9243 was published on 2017-03-27 and last updated on 2026-06-17.
References
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/11/09/2
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/94216
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3138-1
- https://cryptography.io/en/latest/changelog
- https://github.com/pyca/cryptography/commit/b924696b2e8731f39696584d12cceeb3aeb2d874
- https://github.com/pyca/cryptography/issues/3211
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/5R2ZOBMPWDFFHUZ6QOZZY36A6H5CGJXL/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/U23KDR2M2N7W2ZSREG63BVW7D4VC6CIZ/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/WQ5G7KHKZC4SI23JE7277KZXM57GEQKT/
Affected products (6)
- cpe:2.3:a:cryptography.io:cryptography:*:*:*:*:*:python:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:23:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:24:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:25:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
More vulnerabilities in Cryptography.io Cryptography
- CVE-2026-39892 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): cryptography is a package designed to expose cryptographic primitives and recipes to Python developers. From 45.0.0 to…
- CVE-2020-36242 — Critical (CVSS 9.1): In the cryptography package before 3.3.2 for Python, certain sequences of update calls to symmetrically encrypt…
- CVE-2024-26130 — High (CVSS 7.5): cryptography is a package designed to expose cryptographic primitives and recipes to Python developers. Starting in…
- CVE-2023-50782 — High (CVSS 7.5): A flaw was found in the python-cryptography package. This issue may allow a remote attacker to decrypt captured…
- CVE-2023-38325 — High (CVSS 7.5): The cryptography package before 41.0.2 for Python mishandles SSH certificates that have critical options.
- CVE-2026-26007 — Medium (CVSS 6.5): cryptography is a package designed to expose cryptographic primitives and recipes to Python developers. Prior to…