# CVE-2016-1000236: cookie-signature Timing Attack

> An attacker can exploit a timing attack in the signature comparison to bypass cookie integrity checks in Node.js applications.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 19 Nov 2019
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** AZL-44412, CLSA-2026-1773879459, CLSA-2026-1784683082, DEBIAN-CVE-2016-1000236, GHSA-92vm-wfm5-mxvv, UBUNTU-CVE-2016-1000236

## What is CVE-2016-1000236?

CVE-2016-1000236 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 19 Nov 2019. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Node-cookie-signature before 1.0.6 is affected by a timing attack due to the type of comparison used.

Weakness: CWE-362 (Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-1000236?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including cookie-signature. It affects 2 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `cookie-signature` | npm | All versions | 1.0.4 |
| `cookie-signature` | npm | All versions | 1.0.4 |

Products: Cookie-Signature Project Cookie-Signature, Debian Debian Linux.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-1000236?

Upgrade cookie-signature to 1.0.4 or later.

## Is CVE-2016-1000236 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-1000236 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-1000236 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-1000236 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 19 Nov 2019. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-1000236 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- cookie-signature (npm): affected all versions; fixed in 1.0.4
- cookie-signature (npm): affected all versions; fixed in 1.0.4

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-1000236/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-1000236/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-1000236
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-1000236
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-1000236

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-1000236/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.