CVE-2016-0923
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThe client in EMC RSA BSAFE Micro Edition Suite (MES) 4.0.x before 4.0.9 and 4.1.x before 4.1.5 places the weakest algorithms first in a signature-algorithm list transmitted to a server, which makes it easier for remote attackers to defeat cryptographic protection mechanisms by leveraging server behavior in which the first algorithm is used.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe RSA BSAFE MES client sends a signature-algorithm list to servers with the weakest algorithms (e.g., MD5, SHA-1) positioned first. Servers that default to using the first algorithm in the list will therefore use weak cryptographic signatures, allowing attackers to potentially forge signatures or downgrade the cryptographic protection.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data>= 4.0.0, < 4.0.9>= 4.1.0, < 4.1.5CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Locate RSA BSAFE MES installationSearch for BSAFE libraries, DLLs, or associated files on the system. Common locations include /usr/lib, /usr/local/lib, or program directories. Look for files named libbsafe, bsafe, or RSA_BSAFE in typical library paths.Affected if RSA BSAFE MES libraries are found on the system
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Identify the installed versionCheck for version information in library metadata, product documentation, or version files. Look at the library file properties or any included version.txt, README, or manifest files that ship with the BSAFE distribution.Affected if The version cannot be determined or is found to be in an affected range
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Compare version to affected rangesCompare your installed version against the vulnerable ranges: version >= 4.0.0 and < 4.0.9, or version >= 4.1.0 and < 4.1.5. Any version matching these ranges is affected.Affected if Installed version falls within >= 4.0.0 and < 4.0.9, or >= 4.1.0 and < 4.1.5
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Determine if client functionality is in useReview application logs, configurations, or code that utilizes RSA BSAFE MES for client-side cryptographic operations, particularly signature generation in client-server communications.Affected if Applications use RSA BSASE MES client for signature operations and server defaults to first offered algorithm
A system is affected if RSA BSAFE MES versions 4.0.0 through 4.0.8 or 4.1.0 through 4.1.4 are installed and used for client-side signature operations where servers may accept the first algorithm in the clients list.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor data4.0.94.1.5
Update RSA BSAFE MES to version 4.0.9 or 4.1.5 or later, which reorder algorithms with stronger ones first, or explicitly configure the client to prioritize strong algorithms.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,504.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-0923 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2016-0923 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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