CVE-2016-10228 — The iconv program in the GNU C Library (aka glibc or libc6) 2.31 and earlier, when invoked with...
The iconv program in the GNU C Library (aka glibc or libc6) 2.31 and earlier, when invoked with multiple suffixes in the destination encoding (TRANSLATE or IGNORE) along with the -c option, enters an infinite loop when processing invalid multi-byte input sequences, leading to a denial of service.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 4.1% (30-day exploitation probability)+14
- Technical severity (medium)+3
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Gnu Glibc).
- The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- EPSS ahead of 91% of scored CVEs: prioritize it in the patch queue.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (input validation), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.9 | CVSS 3.0 | Medium | 2.2 | 3.6 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 5.9 | CVSS 3.0 | Medium | — | — | GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories |
| 4.3 | CVSS 2.0 | Medium | 8.6 | 2.9 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 4.11%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Record published
- Affected products added · gnu/glibc
- CVSS changed · 5.9
- Source status changed · → Modified
- Record created in this database
- 2017
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 2× References added · Oct 14, 2026 – Oct 14, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 14, 2026 – Oct 14, 2026
References
14 on the record
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/10/msg00021.html
- cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-831302.html
- security.gentoo.org/glsa/202101-20
- lists.apache.org/thread.html/rf9fa47ab66495c78bb4120b0754dd9531ca2ff0430f6685ac9b07772
- cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-398330.html
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-g93f-3wq3-pq68
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-10228
- sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi
- openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/03/01/10
- sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi
- www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2022.html
- sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi
- lists.apache.org/thread.html/rf9fa47ab66495c78bb4120b0754dd9531ca2ff0430f6685ac9b07772
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/96525
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Medium CVE-2026-6238 Buffer overread in ns_printrrf with corrupted RDATA field Apr 28, 2026
- High CVE-2026-5435 Potential buffer overflow in ns_sprintrrf TSIG handling path Apr 28, 2026
- High CVE-2026-5928 Potential buffer under-read in ungetwc Apr 20, 2026
- Critical CVE-2026-5450 scanf %mc off-by-one heap buffer overflow Apr 20, 2026
- High CVE-2026-4046 iconv crash due to assertion failure with untrusted input Mar 30, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-4438 gethostbyaddr and gethostbyaddr_r return invalid DNS hostnames Mar 20, 2026
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- No CISA SSVC assessment.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2016-10228 is "The iconv program in the GNU C Library (aka glibc or libc6) 2.31 and earlier, when invoked with...", rated Medium. It affects Glibc (Gnu); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 5.9 describes technical severity. EPSS 4.11% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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