How severe is GHSA-4cx2-fc23-5wg6?

No CVSS score has been assigned to GHSA-4cx2-fc23-5wg6 yet. Review the advisory details and affected package list to assess your exposure.

Which packages are affected by GHSA-4cx2-fc23-5wg6?

GHSA-4cx2-fc23-5wg6 affects the following packages: org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk15on (Maven), org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk15to18 (Maven), org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk18on (Maven), org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-fips (Maven), org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-fips (Maven). Ecosystems affected: Maven.

How do I fix GHSA-4cx2-fc23-5wg6?

Update org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk15on to 1.79 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-4cx2-fc23-5wg6 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect GHSA-4cx2-fc23-5wg6 in my Maven dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk15on, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.

How do I mitigate GHSA-4cx2-fc23-5wg6 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

Cap what an attacker can consume: apply request size, rate and timeout limits in front of the affected component, and run it with memory and CPU limits so exhaustion degrades one worker rather than the whole service.

Is GHSA-4cx2-fc23-5wg6 actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for GHSA-4cx2-fc23-5wg6 yet. This does not mean the vulnerability cannot be exploited — absence of public exploits does not imply safety. Apply the recommended fix and use O3 Security to monitor your exposure.

What is the EPSS score for GHSA-4cx2-fc23-5wg6?

GHSA-4cx2-fc23-5wg6 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 0.5%, placing it in the 43th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. This score indicates relatively lower exploitation probability, though the CVSS severity should still guide your patching priority.

What type of vulnerability is GHSA-4cx2-fc23-5wg6?

GHSA-4cx2-fc23-5wg6 is classified as CWE-770 (CWE-770). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation.

When was GHSA-4cx2-fc23-5wg6 published, and has it been updated?

GHSA-4cx2-fc23-5wg6 was published on August 13, 2025 and was last updated on September 10, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

☕ Maven

Not in CISA KEV

Bouncy Castle for Java bcpkix, bcprov, bcpkix-fips on All (API modules) allows Excessive AllocationGHSA-4cx2-fc23-5wg6

Fix: bcgit/bc-java@310b30a

GHSA-4cx2-fc23-5wg6 is a CWE-770 vulnerability in org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk15on. A fix is available for org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk15on — see the affected versions and patch details below.

Also known asCVE-2025-8916

Published

Aug 13, 2025

Updated

Sep 10, 2026

Affected

5 pkgs

Patched

5 / 5

Exploits

None indexed

Exploitation data as of Nov 5, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

Exploitation Status

No confirmed exploitation observed yet

CISA assesses this as automatable — exploitation doesn’t require manual, per-target effort, which raises the odds of mass scanning and opportunistic attacks.
CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.

Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for GHSA-4cx2-fc23-5wg6.

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

0.5%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Lower Risk+0.04%

Lower risk than most CVEs43th percentile — riskier than 43% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.

Real-World Exposure

5 pkgs affected

☕org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk15on☕org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk15to18☕org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk18on☕org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-fips☕org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-fips

Real-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Maven packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.

Description

Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling vulnerability in Legion of the Bouncy Castle Inc. Bouncy Castle for Java bcpkix, bcprov, bcpkix-fips on All (API modules) allows Excessive Allocation. This vulnerability is associated with program files https://github.Com/bcgit/bc-java/blob/main/pkix/src/main/java/org/bouncycastle/pkix/jcajce/PKIXCertP... https://github.Com/bcgit/bc-java/blob/main/pkix/src/main/java/org/bouncycastle/pkix/jcajce/PKIXCertPathReviewer.java , https://github.Com/bcgit/bc-java/blob/main/prov/src/main/java/org/bouncycastle/x509/PKIXCertPathRevi... https://github.Com/bcgit/bc-java/blob/main/prov/src/main/java/org/bouncycastle/x509/PKIXCertPathReviewer.java .

This issue affects Bouncy Castle for Java: from BC 1.44 through 1.78, from BCPKIX FIPS 1.0.0 through 1.0.7, from BCPKIX FIPS 2.0.0 through 2.0.7.

Affected Packages

5 total 5 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
☕Maven	`org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk15on`	≥ 1.44&&< 1.79	1.79`org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk15on:1.79`
☕Maven	`org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk15to18`	≥ 1.44&&< 1.79	1.79`org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk15to18:1.79`
☕Maven	`org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk18on`	≥ 1.44&&< 1.79	1.79`org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk18on:1.79`
☕Maven	`org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-fips`	≥ 1.0.0&&< 1.0.8	1.0.8`org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-fips:1.0.8`
☕Maven	`org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-fips`	≥ 2.0.0&&< 2.0.8	2.0.8`org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-fips:2.0.8`

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

Detect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk15on, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk15on to 1.79 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-4cx2-fc23-5wg6 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Cap what an attacker can consume: apply request size, rate and timeout limits in front of the affected component, and run it with memory and CPU limits so exhaustion degrades one worker rather than the whole service.

Fixing This On Your OS

If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.

Red HatModerate

Workaround published by Red Hat

Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options do not meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base or stability.

Source: Red Hat security advisory for GHSA-4cx2-fc23-5wg6 (CC BY 4.0)