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Cryptography

CVE-2026-12816

8.7
High
EPSS 0.15%Patch availableAug 3, 2026

Bouncy Castle IESEngine MAC forgery via length-dependent KDF allows integrity bypass.

common questions

Is CVE-2026-12816 being exploited?

Not confirmed. CVE-2026-12816 does not appear in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which records only exploitation that has been observed and reported publicly. That is evidence of absence of a report, not evidence the flaw is unattacked. EPSS currently estimates a 0.15% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How severe is CVE-2026-12816?

CVE-2026-12816 is rated High with a CVSS score of 8.7. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.

Is there a patch for CVE-2026-12816?

Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-12816. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.

What does CVE-2026-12816 affect?

CVE-2026-12816 affects Bouncy Castle for Java < 1.85, Bouncy Castle LTS < 2.73.12, Java apps using BouncyCastle IESEngine. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.

What should I do about CVE-2026-12816?

Upgrade to Bouncy Castle >=1.85 or LTS >=2.73.12; audit IESEngine usage.

Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.

executive summary
technical analysis
affected
Bouncy Castle for Java < 1.85Bouncy Castle LTS < 2.73.12Java apps using BouncyCastle IESEngine
impact

Remote MAC forgery of IESEngine streams allowing integrity/authentication bypass and tampering of protected data in Java apps.

action required

Patch when possible

affected versions
Legion of the Bouncy Castle Inc. BC-JAVA
  • affected< 1.85
Legion of the Bouncy Castle Inc. BC-LTS-JAVA
  • affected>= 2.73.0 and < 2.73.12

As published in the CVE Program record. A version outside these ranges is not a statement that it is unaffected — vendors sometimes understate a range, and distribution-backported builds carry upstream numbers that do not reflect what was patched into them.

how to fix
Remediation steps are tailored for users whose stack is affected. Add this technology to your stack to see the fix checklist.
references
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