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CVE-2016-3957· NVD / CVE Program· CNA mitre

The secure_load function in gluon/utils.py in web2py before 2.14.2 uses pickle.loads to deserialize session information stored in cookies, w

The secure_load function in gluon/utils.py in web2py before 2.14.2 uses pickle.loads to deserialize session information stored in cookies, which might allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by leveraging knowledge of encryption_key.

CriticalCVSS 9.8 · v3.0—Proof of concept No fix recorded
Published
Feb 6, 2018
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
4.9% · 92th percentile
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Report tools

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Action score

40

Plan

Add it to your regular patch cycle.

CVSS
39 / 40 · 9.8 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
1 / 30 · 4.9%

Affected systems

VendorProduct
web2pyweb2py

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • web2py web2pybefore 2.14.2

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2023-45158An OS command injection vulnerability exists in web2py 2.24.1 and earlier.
    40Plan
  • CVE-2016-3953The sample web application in web2py before 2.14.2 might allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via vectors involving use of a har
    40Plan
  • CVE-2016-10321web2py before 2.14.6 does not properly check if a host is denied before verifying passwords, allowing a remote attacker to perform brute-for
    40Plan
  • CVE-2016-4808Web2py versions 2.14.5 and below was affected by CSRF (Cross Site Request Forgery) vulnerability, which allows an attacker to trick a logged
    36Monitor
  • CVE-2016-4806Web2py versions 2.14.5 and below was affected by Local File Inclusion vulnerability, which allows a malicious intended user to read/access w
    33Monitor
  • CVE-2016-3952web2py before 2.14.1, when using the standalone version, allows remote attackers to obtain environment variable values via a direct request
    31Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

No fix version is recorded for this entry. Check the references for vendor advisories.

Exploit status

Proof of concept available

A public proof of concept or detection signature exists. Exploit knowledge is out there; don't delay patching.

Evidence

  • Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub ×1

Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.

Public exploit evidence
SourceKindDate
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:02018-12-19

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

  1. Published
  2. First PoC+315 d
  3. TodaySep 30, 2026+3158 d
EPSS, last 120 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

No nightly-computed relations.

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
high · data can be read
Integrity
high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
High
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
High

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

nvd-primary

Root cause

Data received over the network is deserialized into the language’s native object format without verifying its source. Code paths inside the object can be triggered during deserialization.

A representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.

Vulnerable

python
payload = sock.recv(65536)job = pickle.loads(payload)

Fixed

python
payload = sock.recv(65536)if not hmac.compare_digest(sign(payload), header_sig):    raise PermissionError("invalid signature")job = JobSchema.validate(json.loads(payload))

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

ATT&CK techniques

—

Noroxi analysis

No Noroxi analysis for this record yet

We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.

We use this product, ask for help

Change log

No changes recorded on tracked fields yet. Score, KEV, exploit maturity and fix status changes appear here.

References

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

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