CVE-2008-0166

HIGHNVD 7.58.6
EchelonGraph scoreHIGH confidence

“▲” beside the score: it is higher than NVD's CVSS score.

Score elevated to 8.6 because EPSS predicted 71% probability of exploitation within the next 30 days (99th percentile of EPSS-scored CVEs) when EchelonGraph scored this CVE. NVD baseline CVSS 7.5 retained for reference. Confidence: see factors.

Triggered by: EPSS exploit prediction (continuous uplift above 30%)
Sources: EPSS, GitHub Security Advisory, NVD CVSS v3
Trending — 5 sources updated this weekWeaponized

Also known asEUVD-2008-0178 (ENISA EUVD) · GHSA-4xrg-5554-qffr (GitHub Security Advisories)Source: ENISA EUVD

8.6EG
EchelonGraph verdictPlan a fixRemediate within your standard update timelines at low or medium mission impact and sooner than that at high (the SSVC decision on this page).
  • High exploitation likelihood — EPSS 71%
  • Public exploit code is available (Exploit-DB, marked verified by Exploit-DB, other public proof-of-concept code)
CISA-KEV: Not listedEPSS PROB: 71%CVSS: 7.5Exploit: Exploit-DB (verified) · other public PoCExposed services: Not assessed

A fix is available — apply it.

OpenSSL 0.9.8c-1 up to versions before 0.9.8g-9 on Debian-based operating systems uses a random number generator that generates predictable numbers, which makes it easier for remote attackers to conduct brute force guessing attacks against cryptographic keys.

CVSS v3
7.5
EG Score
8.6HIGHhigh confidence
EG Risk
62
EG Risk 62/100

EG Risk is EchelonGraph's 0–100 priority score. It fuses impact severity (EG Severity, the CVSS base score, never the KEV-floored or EPSS-lifted EG Score) with real-world exploitation and automatability, under weights EchelonGraph set by hand, so you can rank equal-severity CVEs and fix the most dangerous first. Higher = act sooner.

How it’s computed (value × EchelonGraph’s weight)
Severity75% × 45%
Impact severity (EG Severity): CVSS 7.5 of 10. Never the KEV-floored or EPSS-lifted EG Score.
Exploitation71% × 40%
FIRST EPSS: the 30-day exploitation probability when EchelonGraph scored this CVE.
Automatability0% × 15%
CISA's BOD 26-04 default: no one has published Automatable for this CVE, and CISA treats it as “no” for a CVE not in KEV.
SSVC (CISA's decision table, applied by EchelonGraph): Track at low, Track* at medium and Attend at high mission impact.
Exploitation public PoC (exploit code on record) · Automatable no (CISA's BOD 26-04 default) · Technical impact total (CISA's BOD 26-04 default). EchelonGraph holds no SSVC assessment of this CVE from CISA: none of these inputs is from Vulnrichment. EchelonGraph applied CISA's decision table to them; CISA publishes SSVC inputs and the table, not a decision for each CVE.
Action: A fix is available. Apply it within your standard update timelines at low or medium mission impact and sooner than that at high.
EPSS PROB
71%
EPSS %ILE
99th
KEV
Not listed

What the EG score is made of (scorer v4.0: the three questions the 0–10 score mixes, published apart · methodology)

The EG score (8.6): severity, escalated by confirmed exploitation. This CVE's 8.6 is EPSS's lift toward 9.0 from its impact severity (EG Severity, CVSS 7.5 HIGH): a likelihood of exploitation, not impact.

EG Severity
7.5 HIGHCVSS-B, impact only: no KEV listing, EPSS or EG-KEV tier raises it.GitHub Security Advisory CVSS
EG Likelihood
71% within 30 daysSource: FIRST EPSS (model v2026.06.15, score date 2026-10-29). FIRST's exploitation probability, not an EchelonGraph model.
Confirmed exploitation
None on record (CISA KEV, EG-KEV Tier 1)Reported apart from the likelihood: an observed fact, not a probability.
EG Priority
SSVC Track* at medium mission impactTrack at low, Track* at medium and Attend at high mission impact.CISA BOD 26-04: 14 days if the affected system is publicly exposed; Fix on system upgrade if it is not.Each input and its source, and whom BOD 26-04 binds: the SSVC and BOD 26-04 blocks below.

SSVC (CISA's decision table, applied by EchelonGraph)Track at low, Track* at medium and Attend at high mission impact.

A fix is available. Apply it within your standard update timelines at low or medium mission impact and sooner than that at high.

Exploitation public PoC (exploit code on record) · Automatable no (CISA's BOD 26-04 default) · Technical impact total (CISA's BOD 26-04 default). EchelonGraph holds no SSVC assessment of this CVE from CISA: none of these inputs is from Vulnrichment. EchelonGraph applied CISA's decision table to them; CISA publishes SSVC inputs and the table, not a decision for each CVE. Mission impact is CISA's Mission & Well-being decision point, and only you can judge it. CISA's table makes it high when Mission Prevalence is Essential — the vulnerable component "directly provides capabilities that constitute at least one MEF for at least one entity" (MEF: mission essential function) — or when Public Well-Being Impact is Irreversible: "multiple fatalities are likely", the cyber-physical system "is likely lost or destroyed", "extreme or serious externalities" are imposed on other parties, or social systems such as elections or the financial grid "are destabilized and potentially collapse". CISA's decision table

BOD 26-04 (CISA's remediation timeline, Table 1)14 days if the affected system is publicly exposed; Fix on system upgrade if it is not.

The score's inputs: In CISA KEV no (CISA's KEV catalog) · Automatable no (CISA's BOD 26-04 default) · Technical impact total (CISA's BOD 26-04 default). Where an input reads “CISA's BOD 26-04 default”, no one has published it for this CVE, and CISA's implementation guidance says: “If “Automatable” and “Technical Impact” information items about a CVE ID are not available and the CVE ID is not in the KEV Catalog, CISA will treat its values as “no” and “total,” respectively, until CISA or a third party provides metadata about the CVE ID. CISA will always provide the Vulnrichment data for a CVE ID listed in the KEV Catalog.” Whether your system is publicly exposed is yours to answer. BOD 26-04 binds US Federal Civilian Executive Branch agencies; for anyone else it is CISA's published timeline, a reference rather than an obligation. The directive · how EchelonGraph applies it

Published

May 13, 2008

Last Modified

April 23, 2026

Advisory Details (9)

Auto-updated May 30, 2026
Patch available.
Web pageMentions a patch (unverified)

[SECURITY] [DSA 1576-1] New openssh packages fix predictable randomness

http://www.debian.org/security/2008/dsa-1576
Web pageMentions a patch (unverified)

[SECURITY] [DSA 1571-1] New openssl packages fix predictable random number generator

http://www.debian.org/security/2008/dsa-1571
Web page

Thread: Advisory - Rsyncrypto maybe affected from Debian OpenSSL reduced entropy problem | rsync friendly file encryption

http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/forum.php?thread_name=48367252.7070603%40shemesh.biz&forum_name=rsyncrypto-devel
Web page

About Secunia Research | Flexera

http://secunia.com/advisories/30249
Web page

About Secunia Research | Flexera

http://secunia.com/advisories/30239
Web page

About Secunia Research | Flexera

http://secunia.com/advisories/30231
Web page

About Secunia Research | Flexera

http://secunia.com/advisories/30221
Web page

About Secunia Research | Flexera

http://secunia.com/advisories/30220
Web page

About Secunia Research | Flexera

http://secunia.com/advisories/30136

Patch Availability(5)

Vendor / EcosystemFix (by version range) / PatchReleasedSource
ubuntuopenvpn (2.0.9-5ubuntu0.1) @ feisty2026-10-30ubuntu
ubuntussl-cert (1.0.14-0ubuntu2.1) @ hardy2026-10-30ubuntu
ubuntulibssl0.9.8 (0.9.8c-4ubuntu0.3) @ feisty2026-10-30ubuntu
ubuntuopenssh-server (1:4.2p1-7ubuntu3.4) @ dapper2026-10-30ubuntu
ubuntuopenssh-client (1:4.7p1-8ubuntu1.1) @ hardy2026-10-30ubuntu

Patches are aggregated from vendor advisories (Red Hat, Microsoft, Cisco, GitHub) and package ecosystems (OSV, GHSA). Multiple rows for the same upstream release have been deduplicated.

Affected Packages

(10 across 5 ecosystems)
Debian:11(2)
PackageVulnerable rangeFix by version rangeDependents
openssh—
  • every version up to 4.7p1-9: fixed in 4.7p1-9
—
openssl—
  • every version up to 0.9.8g-9: fixed in 0.9.8g-9
—
Debian:12(2)
PackageVulnerable rangeFix by version rangeDependents
openssh—
  • every version up to 4.7p1-9: fixed in 4.7p1-9
—
openssl—
  • every version up to 0.9.8g-9: fixed in 0.9.8g-9
—
Debian:13(2)
PackageVulnerable rangeFix by version rangeDependents
openssh—
  • every version up to 4.7p1-9: fixed in 4.7p1-9
—
openssl—
  • every version up to 0.9.8g-9: fixed in 0.9.8g-9
—
Debian:14(2)
PackageVulnerable rangeFix by version rangeDependents
openssh—
  • every version up to 4.7p1-9: fixed in 4.7p1-9
—
openssl—
  • every version up to 0.9.8g-9: fixed in 0.9.8g-9
—
Debian:4.0(2)
PackageVulnerable rangeFix by version rangeDependents
openssh1:4.3p2-9, 1:4.3p2-9etch1
  • every version up to 1:4.3p2-9etch2: fixed in 1:4.3p2-9etch2
—
openssl0.9.8c-4, 0.9.8c-4etch1, 0.9.8c-4etch2
  • every version up to 0.9.8c-4etch3: fixed in 0.9.8c-4etch3
—

Weakness Classification(1)

MITRE Common Weakness Enumeration — the root-cause categories this CVE belongs to.

All Vendor Advisories

(5)

Every vendor that published an advisory referencing this CVE — pulled from our cve_vendor_advisories aggregation. Click any row for the vendor's original advisory page.

Data Freshness Timeline

(refreshed 7× in last 7d / 29× in last 30d)

Each row is a time one of our pipelines fetched, updated or re-scored this CVE. For example, "NVD update" means NVD published or revised its analysis for this CVE; "MITRE cvelistV5" means we ingested or refreshed it from the CNA feed. An arrow marks a change the record states ("CVSS v3 → 9.1"); EPSS and GHSA rows show the values recorded at that time, not what changed (EPSS values are rounded; hover one for the exact figures). Most recent first.

Showing the most recent 85 of 117 refreshes on record for this CVE.

A repeat, a row identical to one the same pipeline wrote less than 10 seconds earlier, is not a separate refresh and is not counted. 15 repeat rows among the latest 100 are merged into the row they repeat. The 32 oldest rows on record are not shown and were not checked, so the counts can still include repeats.

  1. 2026-10-31 16:25 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  2. 2026-10-30 16:26 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  3. 2026-10-30 03:27 UTCEG score recompute
  4. 2026-10-30 03:27 UTCVendor advisory
  5. 2026-10-30 03:27 UTCGHSA enrichmentGHSA-4xrg-5554-qffr · GitHub severity HIGH · GitHub CVSS 7.5
  6. 2026-10-29 20:25 UTCOSV refresh
  7. 2026-10-27 16:25 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  8. 2026-10-25 20:31 UTCEG score recompute
  9. 2026-10-25 16:25 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  10. 2026-10-24 16:25 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  11. 2026-10-22 16:25 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  12. 2026-10-22 11:06 UTCEG score recompute
  13. 2026-10-22 11:06 UTCVendor advisory
  14. 2026-10-22 11:06 UTCGHSA enrichmentGHSA-4xrg-5554-qffr · GitHub severity HIGH · GitHub CVSS 7.5
  15. 2026-10-21 16:25 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  16. 2026-10-20 16:25 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  17. 2026-10-19 16:25 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  18. 2026-10-18 11:54 UTCEG score recompute
  19. 2026-10-16 16:25 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  20. 2026-10-15 16:25 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  21. 2026-10-14 16:25 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  22. 2026-10-13 16:25 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  23. 2026-10-12 21:55 UTCEG score recompute
  24. 2026-10-12 02:02 UTCEG score recompute
  25. 2026-10-10 19:53 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
Show 60 more
  1. 2026-10-09 20:00 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  2. 2026-10-07 23:37 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  3. 2026-10-06 15:09 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  4. 2026-10-04 03:38 UTCOSV refresh
  5. 2026-10-03 14:20 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  6. 2026-10-01 19:42 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  7. 2026-09-29 07:46 UTCEG score recompute
  8. 2026-09-18 19:20 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  9. 2026-09-17 19:20 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  10. 2026-09-15 03:04 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  11. 2026-09-14 18:14 UTCOSV refresh
  12. 2026-09-12 14:54 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  13. 2026-09-05 15:22 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  14. 2026-09-04 04:59 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  15. 2026-08-30 01:14 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  16. 2026-08-26 17:36 UTCOSV refresh
  17. 2026-08-10 07:40 UTCOSV refresh
  18. 2026-08-06 13:41 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  19. 2026-07-30 16:22 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  20. 2026-07-28 15:30 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  21. 2026-07-25 14:12 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  22. 2026-07-25 08:11 UTCOSV refresh
  23. 2026-07-24 14:11 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  24. 2026-07-23 00:55 UTCEG score recompute
  25. 2026-07-23 00:34 UTCEG score recompute
  26. 2026-07-23 00:00 UTCEG score recompute▲ 1.10
  27. 2026-07-22 21:39 UTCEG score recompute
  28. 2026-07-22 14:03 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  29. 2026-07-21 15:19 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  30. 2026-07-20 17:03 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  31. 2026-07-16 16:58 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  32. 2026-07-15 16:54 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  33. 2026-07-13 06:07 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  34. 2026-07-11 08:22 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  35. 2026-07-08 15:09 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  36. 2026-07-08 02:35 UTCOSV refresh
  37. 2026-07-04 06:27 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  38. 2026-07-02 14:00 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  39. 2026-07-01 15:02 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  40. 2026-06-27 03:04 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  41. 2026-06-25 13:46 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  42. 2026-06-24 14:02 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  43. 2026-06-23 21:29 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  44. 2026-06-21 14:53 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  45. 2026-06-21 01:56 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  46. 2026-06-19 14:55 UTCOSV refresh
  47. 2026-06-18 17:49 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  48. 2026-06-17 17:49 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  49. 2026-06-16 17:49 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  50. 2026-06-15 17:44 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 71% · 99th percentile
  51. 2026-06-13 22:57 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 4.8% · 89th percentile
  52. 2026-06-12 23:08 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 4.8% · 89th percentile
  53. 2026-06-10 22:14 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 4.8% · 89th percentile
  54. 2026-06-10 13:17 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 4.8% · 89th percentile
  55. 2026-06-08 14:13 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 4.8% · 89th percentile
  56. 2026-06-07 15:21 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 4.4% · 89th percentile
  57. 2026-06-06 13:44 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 4.4% · 89th percentile
  58. 2026-06-05 22:44 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 4.4% · 89th percentile
  59. 2026-06-05 06:07 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 4.4% · 89th percentile
  60. 2026-06-04 13:09 UTCEPSS rescoreEPSS 4.4% · 89th percentile

Publicly available exploits

(6 references)

Public exploit code is referenced for this CVE (3 Exploit-DB entries, 3 GitHub PoCs). Defenders should treat patch urgency accordingly.

  • Exploit-DBEDB-5720✓ verified
    Published Jun 1, 2008

    OpenSSL 0.9.8c-1 < 0.9.8g-9 (Debian and Derivatives) - Predictable PRNG Brute Force SSH

    Open source ↗
  • Exploit-DBEDB-5632✓ verified
    Published May 16, 2008

    OpenSSL 0.9.8c-1 < 0.9.8g-9 (Debian and Derivatives) - Predictable PRNG Brute Force SSH (Ruby)

    Open source ↗
  • Exploit-DBEDB-5622✓ verified
    Published May 15, 2008

    OpenSSL 0.9.8c-1 < 0.9.8g-9 (Debian and Derivatives) - Predictable PRNG Brute Force SSH

    Open source ↗
  • GitHub PoCdemining/Vulnerable-to-Debian-OpenSSL-bug-CVE-2008-0166
    Published Aug 26, 2022

    Search for BTC coins on earlier versions of Bitcoin Core with critical vulnerability OpenSSL 0.9.8 CVE-2008-0166

    Open source ↗
  • GitHub PoCbadkeys/debianopenssl
    Published May 15, 2022

    Private keys vulnerable to Debian OpenSSL bug (CVE-2008-0166)

    Open source ↗
  • GitHub PoCg0tmi1k/debian-ssh
    Published Sep 22, 2013

    Debian OpenSSL Predictable PRNG (CVE-2008-0166)

    Open source ↗

Frequently asked(5)

What is CVE-2008-0166?
CVE-2008-0166 is a high-severity vulnerability; its CVE record was published on May 13, 2008. OpenSSL 0.9.8c-1 up to versions before 0.9.8g-9 on Debian-based operating systems uses a random number generator that generates predictable numbers, which makes it easier for remote attackers to conduct brute force guessing attacks against cryptographic keys.
When was the CVE record for CVE-2008-0166 published?
The CVE record for CVE-2008-0166 was published on May 13, 2008. That is the record's publication date; the vulnerability itself may have been made public earlier. EchelonGraph's copy of the record carries a last-modified date of April 23, 2026; the record at its source may have been updated since.
Is CVE-2008-0166 actively exploited?
CVE-2008-0166 is not currently on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. EchelonGraph's EG-KEV model places it in Tier 2 (Weaponized), which is not evidence of exploitation: Exploit-DB marks a public exploit for it as verified. EchelonGraph does not test whether exploit code works. FIRST EPSS estimates a 71% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days (99th percentile of EPSS-scored CVEs).
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2008-0166?
CVE-2008-0166 has a CVSS v3 base score of 7.5 (NVD). EchelonGraph synthesises NVD + FIRST EPSS + GHSA into a combined EG score of 8.6 (HIGH).
How do I remediate CVE-2008-0166?
A fix for CVE-2008-0166 is available: update to the fixed version the vendor names in its advisory.

Dependency Blast Radius

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