CVE-2016-1000352
Cryptographic Issue vulnerability in bcprov-jdk14 (Maven)
What is CVE-2016-1000352 About?
This cryptographic vulnerability in Bouncy Castle JCE Provider versions 1.55 and earlier allowed the insecure ECB mode in its ECIES implementation. This makes cryptographic operations vulnerable to patterns leakage, diminishing the security of encrypted data. Exploitation might require specific conditions but ultimately compromises data confidentiality.
Affected Software
- org.bouncycastle:bcprov-jdk14
- <1.56
- org.bouncycastle:bcprov-jdk15
- <1.56
- org.bouncycastle:bcprov-jdk15on
- <1.56
Technical Details
The Bouncy Castle JCE Provider in versions 1.55 and prior incorrectly permitted the use of Electronic Codebook (ECB) mode within its Elliptic Curve Integrated Encryption Scheme (ECIES) implementation. ECB mode is a deterministic block cipher mode of operation that encrypts identical plaintext blocks into identical ciphertext blocks. This property leaks patterns present in the plaintext data, making it unsuitable for most encryption purposes, especially when transmitting data that might contain repeating blocks (e.g., images, highly structured data). An attacker observing the ciphertext could analyze these repeated blocks to infer information about the original plaintext, even without decrypting the entire message. While the ECIES itself provides asymmetric encryption for key establishment and symmetric encryption for data, integrating ECB mode for the symmetric part undermines the confidentiality guarantees. The removal of ECB support indicates its inherent insecurity in this context.
What is the Impact of CVE-2016-1000352?
Successful exploitation may allow attackers to deduce patterns from encrypted communications or data, potentially compromising the confidentiality of sensitive information exchanged through ECIES.
What is the Exploitability of CVE-2016-1000352?
Exploitation of this vulnerability would typically involve an attacker performing traffic analysis or ciphertext observation. While no active manipulation of the cryptographic process is necessarily required, the attacker must be able to intercept or access the encrypted data. The complexity depends on the context of ECIES usage and the type of data being encrypted; observing patterns might be simple for highly structured data. No explicit authentication or privilege is required within the application itself for an observing attacker. The attack is remote, as it involves observing network traffic or stored encrypted data. The primary risk factor is the use of ECIES with the problematic ECB mode, which inherently weakens the security properties of the encrypted communication.
What are the Known Public Exploits?
| PoC Author | Link | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| No known exploits | ||
What are the Available Fixes for CVE-2016-1000352?
Available Upgrade Options
- org.bouncycastle:bcprov-jdk14
- <1.56 → Upgrade to 1.56
- org.bouncycastle:bcprov-jdk15on
- <1.56 → Upgrade to 1.56
- org.bouncycastle:bcprov-jdk15
- <1.56 → Upgrade to 1.56
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Book a demoAdditional Resources
- https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-w285-wf9q-5w69
- https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2020.html
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:2927
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:2669
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-1000352
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:2669
- https://github.com/bcgit/bc-java
- https://github.com/bcgit/bc-java/commit/9385b0ebd277724b167fe1d1456e3c112112be1f
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20181127-0004/
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20181127-0004
What are Similar Vulnerabilities to CVE-2016-1000352?
Similar Vulnerabilities: CVE-2017-1000378 , CVE-2015-7940 , CVE-2016-1000342 , CVE-2019-3462 , CVE-2019-12293
