CVE-2016-1000352: Bouncy Castle JCE Provider ECB Mode Vulnerability
Summary
CVE-2016-1000352: In Bouncy Castle JCE Provider the ECIES implementation allowed the use of ECB mode. Affects org.bouncycastle:bcprov-jdk14 versions < 1.56. Fixed in 1.56. How to fix ↓
Also tracked for
- bouncycastle · Debian:11
The same CVE-2016-1000352 is tracked separately for each ecosystem and vendor. Its fix information is the same; the package and affected versions differ.
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Background
The Bouncy Castle JCE Provider is a Java Cryptography Extension (JCE) provider that offers a wide range of cryptographic algorithms and services. It is commonly used in Java applications for secure communication and data protection. The vulnerable version of the provider, 1.55 and earlier, allowed the use of ECB (Electronic Codebook) mode in its ECIES (Elliptic Curve Integrated Encryption Scheme) implementation. ECB mode is considered unsafe due to its lack of diffusion and vulnerability to certain attacks.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability (CVE-2016-1000352) in the Bouncy Castle JCE Provider arises from the use of ECB mode in the ECIES implementation. ECB mode does not provide proper encryption security as it does not incorporate any form of diffusion. This makes it susceptible to various cryptographic attacks, including known-plaintext attacks and pattern recognition attacks. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to decrypt encrypted data or manipulate the ciphertext to gain unauthorized access or perform malicious actions.
How To Fix
Latest published version: 1.86 as of 22 Oct 2026
Upgrading to it may include breaking changes; the version below is the minimum fixed release for this vulnerability.
If you need the minimum change
1.56
This is the first release that contains the fix.
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Workaround
There is no specific workaround mentioned for this vulnerability. The recommended solution is to update to the fixed version of the Bouncy Castle JCE Provider.
Conclusion
The Bouncy Castle JCE Provider version 1.55 and earlier is vulnerable to a security issue where ECB mode is allowed in the ECIES implementation. This mode is considered unsafe and has been removed in the fixed version (1.56) of the provider. To mitigate the vulnerability, it is crucial to update the Bouncy Castle JCE Provider to the fixed version. For further assistance and support in vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.
See every vulnerability recorded for org.bouncycastle:bcprov-jdk14 →
FAQ
The Bouncy Castle JCE Provider is a Java library that provides cryptographic algorithms and services for secure communication and data protection in Java applications.
ECB (Electronic Codebook) mode is a basic encryption mode where each plaintext block is directly encrypted into a corresponding ciphertext block using the same key. It does not provide proper diffusion and is considered insecure for most applications.
ECIES (Elliptic Curve Integrated Encryption Scheme) is a hybrid encryption scheme that combines symmetric encryption and asymmetric encryption using elliptic curve cryptography. It is commonly used for secure communication and data protection.
Using ECB mode in ECIES exposes encrypted data to various cryptographic attacks, including known-plaintext attacks and pattern recognition attacks. An attacker could decrypt the data or manipulate the ciphertext to gain unauthorized access or perform malicious actions.
To update the Bouncy Castle JCE Provider, you need to modify your project's dependencies to include the fixed version (1.56 or later) of the provider. After updating the dependencies, recompile your code to incorporate the changes.
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