What is CVE-2018-16115?

CVE-2018-16115 is a critical-severity security vulnerability in com.typesafe.akka:akka-actor_2.11 (maven), affecting versions >= 2.5.0, < 2.5.16. It is fixed in 2.5.16.

How severe is CVE-2018-16115?

CVE-2018-16115 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 packages are affected by CVE-2018-16115?

com.typesafe.akka:akka-actor_2.11 (maven) versions >= 2.5.0, = 2.5.0, < 2.5.16.

Is there a fix for CVE-2018-16115?

Yes. CVE-2018-16115 is fixed in 2.5.16. Upgrade to this version or later.

Is CVE-2018-16115 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2018-16115 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-2018-16115 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-2018-16115 in com.typesafe.akka:akka-actor_2.11

Q: How severe is CVE-2018-16115?

CVE-2018-16115 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 packages are affected by CVE-2018-16115?

com.typesafe.akka:akka-actor_2.11 (maven) versions >= 2.5.0, = 2.5.0, < 2.5.16.

Q: Is there a fix for CVE-2018-16115?

Yes. CVE-2018-16115 is fixed in 2.5.16. Upgrade to this version or later.

Q: Is CVE-2018-16115 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2018-16115 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-2018-16115 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-2018-16115?

Upgrade: com.typesafe.akka:akka-actor_2.11 to 2.5.16 or later, com.typesafe.akka:akka-actor_2.12 to 2.5.16 or later.

Summary

Cryptographically Weak Pseudo-Random Number Generator (PRNG) in akka-actor

Lightbend Akka 2.5.x before 2.5.16 allows message disclosure and modification because of an RNG error. A random number generator is used in Akka Remoting for TLS (both classic and Artery Remoting). Akka allows configuration of custom random number generators. For historical reasons, Akka included the AES128CounterSecureRNG and AES256CounterSecureRNG random number generators. The implementations had a bug that caused the generated numbers to be repeated after only a few bytes. The custom RNG implementations were not configured by default but examples in the documentation showed (and therefore implicitly recommended) using the custom ones. This can be used by an attacker to compromise the communication if these random number generators are enabled in configuration. It would be possible to eavesdrop, replay, or modify the messages sent with Akka Remoting/Cluster.

Impact

CVE-2018-16115 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 (2.5.16); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

com.typesafe.akka:akka-actor_2.11 (>= 2.5.0, < 2.5.16) com.typesafe.akka:akka-actor_2.12 (>= 2.5.0, < 2.5.16)

Security releases

com.typesafe.akka:akka-actor_2.11 → 2.5.16 (maven) com.typesafe.akka:akka-actor_2.12 → 2.5.16 (maven)

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:

com.typesafe.akka:akka-actor_2.11 to 2.5.16 or later; com.typesafe.akka:akka-actor_2.12 to 2.5.16 or later

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-16115? CVE-2018-16115 is a critical-severity security vulnerability in com.typesafe.akka:akka-actor_2.11 (maven), affecting versions >= 2.5.0, < 2.5.16. It is fixed in 2.5.16.
How severe is CVE-2018-16115? CVE-2018-16115 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 packages are affected by CVE-2018-16115?
- com.typesafe.akka:akka-actor_2.11 (maven) (versions >= 2.5.0, < 2.5.16)
- com.typesafe.akka:akka-actor_2.12 (maven) (versions >= 2.5.0, < 2.5.16)
Is there a fix for CVE-2018-16115? Yes. CVE-2018-16115 is fixed in 2.5.16. Upgrade to this version or later.
Is CVE-2018-16115 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2018-16115 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-2018-16115 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-2018-16115?
- Upgrade com.typesafe.akka:akka-actor_2.11 to 2.5.16 or later
- Upgrade com.typesafe.akka:akka-actor_2.12 to 2.5.16 or later