CVE-2016-3954: Web2py Web2py Exposure Of Sensitive Information Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-jr83-vr4j-mp6p
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CVSS 5.5
CWE-200
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2016-3954 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.5) web2py exposure of sensitive information vulnerability (CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor) affecting Web2py libraries in the PyPI ecosystem. The issue involves web2py exposure of sensitive information. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.14.2.

CVE-2016-3954 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2016-3954
GHSA Identifier GHSA-jr83-vr4j-mp6p
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.5
CWE Classification CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor
Affected Product Web2py
Package Ecosystem PyPI
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N).

Attack Vector Local (AV:L)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2016-3954

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Web2py dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

web2py fixed: 2.14.2 
pip install web2py>=2.14.2
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

pip show web2py

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Python environment is affected by CVE-2016-3954, inspect your installed packages using pip:

pip show web2py

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Web2py in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.14.2), your application is affected.

Note: The pip show web2py command checks currently installed packages in your active Python environment.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor, where the product exposes sensitive information to an actor that is not explicitly authorized to have access to that information. In Web2py, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

web2py before 2.14.2 allows remote attackers to obtain the session_cookie_key value via a direct request to examples/simple_examples/status. NOTE: this issue can be leveraged by remote attackers to execute arbitrary code using CVE-2016-3957.

CVE-2016-3954 Affected Web2py Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.14.2
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
web2py
pypi/web2py
PyPI
< 2.14.2
2.14.2

References

NVD — CVE-2016-3954 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-3954
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/web2py/web2py/commit/0820926b500a321060ef6a76ce89fd35a252f8b0
devco.re/blog/2017/01/03/web... WEB
https://devco.re/blog/2017/01/03/web2py-unserialize-code-execution-CVE-2016-3957
Web2py Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/web2py/web2py
usn.ubuntu.com/4030-1 WEB
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4030-1

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2016-3954?
CVE-2016-3954 is a security vulnerability in Web2py involving web2py exposure of sensitive information under CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor.
Which Web2py versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.14.2 across affected packages: web2py.
What version fixes CVE-2016-3954?
Upgrading to 2.14.2 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is web2py affected?
Yes, web2py is affected in releases prior to 2.14.2. Upgrade your dependency to 2.14.2 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2016-3954?
CVE-2016-3954 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2016-3954?
CVE-2016-3954 is classified under CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor (The product exposes sensitive information to an actor that is not explicitly authorized to have access to that information.).
How can I check PyPI dependencies for CVE-2016-3954?
Run the dependency tree command: 'pip show web2py'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-jr83-vr4j-mp6p",
  "modified" : "2023-11-22T21:57:03Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-14T00:57:47Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2016-3954" ],
  "summary" : "web2py exposure of sensitive information",
  "details" : "web2py before 2.14.2 allows remote attackers to obtain the session_cookie_key value via a direct request to examples/simple_examples/status.  NOTE: this issue can be leveraged by remote attackers to execute arbitrary code using CVE-2016-3957.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "PyPI",
      "name" : "web2py"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.14.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-3954"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/web2py/web2py/commit/0820926b500a321060ef6a76ce89fd35a252f8b0"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://devco.re/blog/2017/01/03/web2py-unserialize-code-execution-CVE-2016-3957"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/web2py/web2py"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://usn.ubuntu.com/4030-1"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-200" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-07-28T20:59:59Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2018-02-06T18:29:00Z"
  }
}