CVE-2016-1000352 in JCE Provider
Summary
by MITRE
In the Bouncy Castle JCE Provider version 1.55 and earlier the ECIES implementation allowed the use of ECB mode. This mode is regarded as unsafe and support for it has been removed from the provider.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/13/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-1000352 affects the Bouncy Castle Java Cryptography Extension provider version 1.55 and earlier, specifically within its Elliptic Curve Integrated Encryption Scheme implementation. This cryptographic library serves as a fundamental component for secure communications in numerous Java applications and systems that rely on robust encryption standards. The flaw represents a significant security regression where the provider inadvertently permitted the use of Electronic Codebook (ECB) mode encryption, a mode that has been widely deprecated due to its inherent cryptographic weaknesses and lack of semantic security properties.
The technical implementation flaw stems from the ECIES encryption mechanism's failure to properly enforce cryptographic best practices and mode restrictions. ECB mode operates by encrypting each block of plaintext independently without any chaining or initialization vector, resulting in identical ciphertext blocks for identical plaintext blocks. This characteristic makes ECB vulnerable to pattern analysis attacks and allows adversaries to potentially infer information about the plaintext content. The Bouncy Castle provider's implementation failed to validate or reject ECB mode usage during the ECIES encryption process, creating a vector for exploitation that undermines the security guarantees expected from elliptic curve cryptography implementations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple cryptographic weakness to encompass potential data exposure and system compromise scenarios. When applications utilize the affected Bouncy Castle provider with ECIES encryption, they may inadvertently employ ECB mode, which could lead to sensitive information disclosure if attackers can observe encrypted communications. This vulnerability particularly affects systems that rely on ECIES for secure key exchange and data encryption, potentially compromising the confidentiality of communications and making them susceptible to sophisticated cryptanalytic attacks. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-327, which addresses the use of insecure encryption algorithms and modes, and represents a clear violation of cryptographic best practices that should be enforced by secure cryptographic libraries.
Organizations utilizing affected versions of Bouncy Castle should immediately upgrade to version 1.56 or later where ECB mode support has been completely removed from the ECIES implementation. The remediation process involves updating the cryptographic library dependencies within applications and verifying that all encryption operations properly enforce secure mode usage. Security teams should conduct comprehensive audits of systems using Bouncy Castle to identify potential exposure and ensure proper cryptographic implementation. Additionally, the vulnerability demonstrates the importance of continuous security review and validation of cryptographic libraries, as the removal of ECB support represents a necessary security hardening measure that aligns with NIST guidelines and industry standards for cryptographic implementation. The incident highlights the critical need for cryptographic libraries to enforce strong security policies and prevent the use of deprecated modes that could compromise system security.