# CVE-2016-2461: Security feature bypass in n/a

> Attackers can spoof message authentication in Android 6.x due to improper handling of AAD resets in Conscrypt, bypassing security checks.

- **Severity:** High 7.0 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 9 May 2016
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-6j37-mcrr-66mf

## What is CVE-2016-2461?

CVE-2016-2461 is a high-severity vulnerability in Google Android, published on 9 May 2016. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

OpenSSLCipher.java in Conscrypt in Android 6.x before 2016-05-01 mishandles resets of the Additional Authenticated Data (AAD) array, which allows attackers to spoof message authentication via unspecified vectors, aka internal bugs 27324690 and 27696681.

Weakness: CWE-264

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-2461?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Google Android.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-2461?

No fix has been published for CVE-2016-2461 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2016-2461 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-2461 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Google Android

- [CVE-2026-58704](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-58704/): Google Pixel Improper Authorization (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-48543](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-48543/): Android Runtime Use-After-Free (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2023-35674](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-35674/): Android Framework Privilege Escalation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-48595](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-48595/): Android Framework Integer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-32896](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-32896/): Android Pixel Privilege Escalation (high 8.1, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-2461 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-2461 is a high-severity vulnerability in Google Android, published on 9 May 2016. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-2461 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Google Android. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

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-2016-2461/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-2461/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-2461
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-2461
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-2461

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-2461/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.