What is CVE-2016-8640?

CVE-2016-8640 is a critical-severity SQL injection vulnerability in pycsw (pip), affecting versions < 1.8.6. It is fixed in 1.8.6, 1.10.5, 2.0.2. Untrusted input alters a database query, allowing the attacker to read or modify data the query was not intended to access.

How severe is CVE-2016-8640?

CVE-2016-8640 has a CVSS score of 9.1 (Critical). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.

Which versions of pycsw are affected by CVE-2016-8640?

pycsw (pip) versions < 1.8.6 is affected.

Is there a fix for CVE-2016-8640?

Yes. CVE-2016-8640 is fixed in 1.8.6, 1.10.5, 2.0.2. Upgrade to this version or later.

Is CVE-2016-8640 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2016-8640 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk.

What actually determines whether CVE-2016-8640 is exploitable, and how bad it is?

Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.

CVE-2016-8640 in pycsw

Q: How severe is CVE-2016-8640?

CVE-2016-8640 has a CVSS score of 9.1 (Critical). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.

Q: Which versions of pycsw are affected by CVE-2016-8640?

pycsw (pip) versions < 1.8.6 is affected.

Q: Is there a fix for CVE-2016-8640?

Yes. CVE-2016-8640 is fixed in 1.8.6, 1.10.5, 2.0.2. Upgrade to this version or later.

Q: Is CVE-2016-8640 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2016-8640 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk.

Q: What actually determines whether CVE-2016-8640 is exploitable, and how bad it is?

Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.

Q: How do I fix CVE-2016-8640?

Upgrade: pycsw to 1.8.6 or later, pycsw to 1.10.5 or later, pycsw to 2.0.2 or later.

Summary

SQL Injection in pycsw

A SQL injection vulnerability in pycsw all versions before 2.0.2, 1.10.5 and 1.8.6 that leads to read and extract of any data from any table in the pycsw database that the database user has access to. Also on PostgreSQL (at least) it is possible to perform updates/inserts/deletes and database modifications to any table the database user has access to.

Impact

Untrusted input alters a database query, allowing the attacker to read or modify data the query was not intended to access. Typical impact: data disclosure or modification.

CVE-2016-8640 has a CVSS score of 9.1 (Critical). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (1.8.6, 1.10.5, 2.0.2); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

pycsw (< 1.8.6) pycsw (>= 1.10.0, < 1.10.5) pycsw (>= 2.0.0, < 2.0.2)

Security releases

pycsw → 1.8.6 (pip) pycsw → 1.10.5 (pip) pycsw → 2.0.2 (pip)

Kodem intelligence

Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.

Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.

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Remediation advice

Upgrade the following packages to resolve this vulnerability:

pycsw to 1.8.6 or later; pycsw to 1.10.5 or later; pycsw to 2.0.2 or later

Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2016-8640? CVE-2016-8640 is a critical-severity SQL injection vulnerability in pycsw (pip), affecting versions < 1.8.6. It is fixed in 1.8.6, 1.10.5, 2.0.2. Untrusted input alters a database query, allowing the attacker to read or modify data the query was not intended to access.
How severe is CVE-2016-8640? CVE-2016-8640 has a CVSS score of 9.1 (Critical). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
Which versions of pycsw are affected by CVE-2016-8640? pycsw (pip) versions < 1.8.6 is affected.
Is there a fix for CVE-2016-8640? Yes. CVE-2016-8640 is fixed in 1.8.6, 1.10.5, 2.0.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
Is CVE-2016-8640 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2016-8640 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
What actually determines whether CVE-2016-8640 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
How do I fix CVE-2016-8640?
- Upgrade pycsw to 1.8.6 or later
- Upgrade pycsw to 1.10.5 or later
- Upgrade pycsw to 2.0.2 or later