The _asn1_extract_der_octet function in lib/decoding.c in GNU Libtasn1 before 4.8, when…
Priority MEDIUM 50CWE-399Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- High
- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Will not fix Red Hat: no fix planned
Attack profile from CVSS 3.0 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-399 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
The _asn1_extract_der_octet function in lib/decoding.c in GNU Libtasn1 before 4.8, when used without the ASN1_DECODE_FLAG_STRICT_DER flag, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite recursion) via a crafted certificate.
Why it matters now
EPSS 0.29405 98th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Will not fix Red Hat: no fix planned
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | all versions | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- — Vendor— Affected all versions Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 9
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:12.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* | 12.04 | Vulnerable | Canonical |
| cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* | 14.04 | Vulnerable | Canonical |
| cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:15.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 15.10 | Vulnerable | Canonical |
| cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* | 16.04 | Vulnerable | Canonical |
| cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:opensuse:13.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 13.2 | Vulnerable | openSUSE |
| cpe:2.3:a:gnu:libtasn1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | up to 4.7 | Vulnerable | GNU |
| cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:22:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 22 | Vulnerable | Fedoraproject |
| cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:23:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 23 | Vulnerable | Fedoraproject |
| cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:24:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 24 | Vulnerable | Fedoraproject |
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:12.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* Versions 12.04 Vulnerable ·Canonical
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* Versions 14.04 Vulnerable ·Canonical
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:15.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 15.10 Vulnerable ·Canonical
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* Versions 16.04 Vulnerable ·Canonical
- cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:opensuse:13.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 13.2 Vulnerable ·openSUSE
- cpe:2.3:a:gnu:libtasn1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions up to 4.7 Vulnerable ·GNU
- cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:22:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 22 Vulnerable ·Fedoraproject
- cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:23:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 23 Vulnerable ·Fedoraproject
- cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:24:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 24 Vulnerable ·Fedoraproject
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 | Affected | No fix planned: Will not fix |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Will not fix |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix planned: Will not fix |
| Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization 3 | Affected | No fix planned: Will not fix |
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2016-4008
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-mr9j-58fj-gv7c
References
Advisory 9
Other 4
- http://git.savannah.gnu.org/gitweb/?p=libtasn1.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=a6e0a0b58f5cdaf4e9beca5bce69c09808cbb625
- [help-libtasn1] 20160411 GNU Libtasn1 4.8 released
- http://git.savannah.gnu.org/gitweb/?p=libtasn1.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=f435825c0f527a8e52e6ffbc3ad0bc60531d537e
- [oss-security] 20160411 Infinite loops parsing malicious DER certificates in libtasn1 4.7
Sources
- CVE-2016-4008 · CVE Program
- CVE-2016-4008 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-mr9j-58fj-gv7c · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2016-4008 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences