CVE-2016-1000344 in JCE Provider
Summary
by MITRE
In the Bouncy Castle JCE Provider version 1.55 and earlier the DHIES implementation allowed the use of ECB mode. This mode is regarded as unsafe and support for it has been removed from the provider.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/13/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-1000344 resides within the Bouncy Castle Java Cryptography Extension provider version 1.55 and earlier, specifically affecting the DHIES (Diffie-Hellman Integrated Encryption Scheme) implementation. This cryptographic library serves as a widely adopted alternative to the standard Java Cryptography Extension and is extensively utilized across enterprise applications, web services, and security frameworks requiring robust cryptographic operations. The flaw manifests in the provider's handling of encryption modes within the DHIES algorithm, where it inadvertently permits the use of Electronic Codebook (ECB) mode, a cryptographic mode that has been deprecated due to its fundamental security weaknesses.
The technical flaw stems from the improper validation and enforcement of encryption mode constraints within the DHIES implementation. ECB mode operates by encrypting each block of plaintext independently without any feedback mechanism, resulting in identical ciphertext blocks for identical plaintext blocks. This characteristic fundamentally undermines the security guarantees that cryptographic algorithms are designed to provide, as it enables pattern analysis attacks and reveals information about the plaintext structure. The Bouncy Castle provider's failure to restrict the use of ECB mode in DHIES creates a scenario where attackers can exploit this weakness to perform cryptanalysis and potentially recover sensitive information from encrypted communications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple cryptographic weakness, as it introduces significant security risks to systems relying on the Bouncy Castle provider for secure communications. Applications utilizing DHIES with ECB mode support become vulnerable to various attacks including but not limited to ciphertext-only attacks, pattern recognition, and potential plaintext recovery. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments where sensitive data is transmitted or stored, as it undermines the confidentiality assurances that cryptographic implementations are expected to provide. This weakness can be exploited by attackers who gain access to encrypted communications, potentially compromising user data, financial information, or proprietary business data. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-327, which specifically addresses the use of insecure cryptographic algorithms and modes, and represents a deviation from established cryptographic best practices.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate action to upgrade the Bouncy Castle provider to version 1.56 or later, where the problematic ECB mode support has been removed. Organizations should conduct comprehensive audits of their cryptographic implementations to identify all instances where the vulnerable provider version is in use, particularly focusing on applications that implement DHIES encryption. System administrators should implement configuration management practices to ensure that only secure cryptographic modes are permitted within their environments. The remediation process should include thorough testing of upgraded systems to verify that the cryptographic operations continue to function correctly without the insecure ECB mode. Additionally, organizations should review their overall cryptographic policies and ensure compliance with industry standards such as NIST SP 800-57 and FIPS 140-2, which explicitly prohibit the use of ECB mode in cryptographic implementations. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date cryptographic libraries and the potential consequences of legacy cryptographic weaknesses in widely deployed security frameworks.