CVE-2018-16115: Akka actor 2.11 Cryptographically Weak Pseudo-Random Number Generator Vulnerability
CRITICALCVE-2018-16115 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.1) cryptographically weak pseudo-random number generator vulnerability (CWE-338: Use of Cryptographically Weak Pseudo-Random Number Generator (PRNG)) affecting Akka actor 2.11 libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves cryptographically weak pseudo-random number generator (prng) in akka-actor. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.5.16.
CVE-2018-16115 at a Glance
Security Impact
CVSS: 9.1
The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N).
How to Fix CVE-2018-16115
To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Akka actor 2.11 dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.
<dependency>
<groupId>com.typesafe.akka</groupId>
<artifactId>akka-actor_2.11</artifactId>
<version>2.5.16</version>
</dependency><dependency>
<groupId>com.typesafe.akka</groupId>
<artifactId>akka-actor_2.12</artifactId>
<version>2.5.16</version>
</dependency>Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.typesafe.akkaHow to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2018-16115, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:
mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.typesafe.akkaAnalyze the terminal output to locate any version of Akka actor 2.11 in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.5.16), your application is affected.
Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.typesafe.akka command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.
Technical Details
Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis
This vulnerability is classified under CWE-338: Use of Cryptographically Weak Pseudo-Random Number Generator (PRNG), where the product uses a pseudo-random number generator (prng) in a security context, but the prng's algorithm is not cryptographically strong. In Akka actor 2.11, 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
CVE-2018-16115 Affected Akka actor 2.11 Versions
2 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
com.typesafe.akka:akka-actor_2.11
|
Maven |
≥ 2.5.0
< 2.5.16
|
2.5.16
|
|
com.typesafe.akka:akka-actor_2.12
|
Maven |
≥ 2.5.0
< 2.5.16
|
2.5.16
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2018-16115?
Which Akka actor 2.11 versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2018-16115?
Is akka-actor_2.11 affected?
Is akka-actor_2.12 affected?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2018-16115?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2018-16115?
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2018-16115?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-mr95-9rr4-668f",
"modified" : "2022-09-14T19:20:04Z",
"published" : "2018-10-22T20:44:26Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2018-16115" ],
"summary" : "Cryptographically Weak Pseudo-Random Number Generator (PRNG) in akka-actor",
"details" : "Lightbend Akka 2.5.x before 2.5.16 allows message disclosure and modification because of an RNG error. A random number generator is used in Akka Remoting for TLS (both classic and Artery Remoting). Akka allows configuration of custom random number generators. For historical reasons, Akka included the AES128CounterSecureRNG and AES256CounterSecureRNG random number generators. The implementations had a bug that caused the generated numbers to be repeated after only a few bytes. The custom RNG implementations were not configured by default but examples in the documentation showed (and therefore implicitly recommended) using the custom ones. This can be used by an attacker to compromise the communication if these random number generators are enabled in configuration. It would be possible to eavesdrop, replay, or modify the messages sent with Akka Remoting/Cluster.",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V3",
"score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N"
} ],
"affected" : [ {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "Maven",
"name" : "com.typesafe.akka:akka-actor_2.11"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "2.5.0"
}, {
"fixed" : "2.5.16"
} ]
} ]
}, {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "Maven",
"name" : "com.typesafe.akka:akka-actor_2.12"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "2.5.0"
}, {
"fixed" : "2.5.16"
} ]
} ]
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-16115"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://doc.akka.io/docs/akka/current/security/2018-08-29-aes-rng.html"
}, {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-mr95-9rr4-668f"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-338" ],
"severity" : "CRITICAL",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T21:47:05Z",
"nvd_published_at" : null
}
}