---
title: "CVE-2016-5636\n    | Ubuntu"
description: Ubuntu is an open source software operating system that runs from the
  desktop, to the cloud, to all your internet connected things.
url: https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2016-5636?format=md
keywords: index, follow
---

# CVE-2016-5636

Publication date 2 September 2016

Last updated 25 August 2025

---

Ubuntu priority

**Medium**

[Why this priority?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#priority )

## Cvss 3 Severity Score

**9.8 · Critical**

[Score breakdown](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2016-5636?format=md#impact-score)

Toggle side navigation

## Description

Integer overflow in the get\_data function in zipimport.c in CPython (aka
Python) before 2.7.12, 3.x before 3.4.5, and 3.5.x before 3.5.2 allows
remote attackers to have unspecified impact via a negative data size value,
which triggers a heap-based buffer overflow.

[Read the notes from the security team](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2016-5636?format=md#notes)

## Status

Show unmaintained releases

| Package | Ubuntu Release | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| python2.7 | 23.04 lunar | Not in release |
| 22.10 kinetic | Not affected |
| 22.04 LTS jammy | Not affected |
| 21.10 impish | Not affected |
| 21.04 hirsute | Not affected |
| 20.10 groovy | Not affected |
| 20.04 LTS focal | Not affected |
| 19.10 eoan | Not affected |
| 19.04 disco | Not affected |
| 18.04 LTS bionic | Not affected |
| 17.04 zesty | Not affected |
| 16.10 yakkety | Not affected |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Fixed 2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.1 |
| 15.10 wily | Ignored end of life |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Fixed 2.7.6-8ubuntu0.3 |
| 12.04 LTS precise | Fixed 2.7.3-0ubuntu3.9 |
| python3.2 | 23.04 lunar | Not in release |
| 22.10 kinetic | Not in release |
| 22.04 LTS jammy | Not in release |
| 21.10 impish | Not in release |
| 21.04 hirsute | Not in release |
| 20.10 groovy | Not in release |
| 20.04 LTS focal | Not in release |
| 19.10 eoan | Not in release |
| 19.04 disco | Not in release |
| 18.04 LTS bionic | Not in release |
| 17.04 zesty | Not in release |
| 16.10 yakkety | Not in release |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release |
| 15.10 wily | Not in release |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release |
| 12.04 LTS precise | Fixed 3.2.3-0ubuntu3.8 |
| python3.4 | 23.04 lunar | Not in release |
| 22.10 kinetic | Not in release |
| 22.04 LTS jammy | Not in release |
| 21.10 impish | Not in release |
| 21.04 hirsute | Not in release |
| 20.10 groovy | Not in release |
| 20.04 LTS focal | Not in release |
| 19.10 eoan | Not in release |
| 19.04 disco | Not in release |
| 18.04 LTS bionic | Not in release |
| 17.04 zesty | Not in release |
| 16.10 yakkety | Not in release |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release |
| 15.10 wily | Ignored end of life |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Fixed 3.4.3-1ubuntu1~14.04.5 |
| 12.04 LTS precise | Not in release |
| python3.5 | 23.04 lunar | Not in release |
| 22.10 kinetic | Not in release |
| 22.04 LTS jammy | Not in release |
| 21.10 impish | Not in release |
| 21.04 hirsute | Not in release |
| 20.10 groovy | Not in release |
| 20.04 LTS focal | Not in release |
| 19.10 eoan | Not in release |
| 19.04 disco | Not in release |
| 18.04 LTS bionic | Not in release |
| 17.04 zesty | Not affected |
| 16.10 yakkety | Not affected |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Fixed 3.5.2-2ubuntu0~16.04.1 |
| 15.10 wily | Ignored end of life |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Fixed 3.5.2-2ubuntu0~16.04.4~14.04.1 |
| 12.04 LTS precise | Not in release |

---

* [How can I get the fixes?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#security)
* [What do statuses mean?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#statuses)
* [Patch details](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2016-5636?format=md#patch-details)

## Notes

---

### [sbeattie](https://launchpad.net/~sbeattie)

issue is fixed for xenial/python3.5 and xenial/python2.7
for packages in xenial-updates, but not xenial-security
may also need https://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/2edbdb79cd6d
(see comment on python bug above) for pre-2.7.8 code and possibly 3.x
code.

### Patch details

For informational purposes only. We recommend not to cherry-pick updates. [How can I get the fixes?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#security)

| Package | Patch details |
| --- | --- |
| python2.7 | * Upstream:   <https://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/985fc64c60d6> * Upstream:   <https://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/2edbdb79cd6d> |
| python3.4 | * Upstream:   <https://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/01ddd608b85c> * Upstream:   <https://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/8b58c9328f5c> |
| python3.5 | * Upstream:   <https://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/10dad6da1b28> |

## Severity score breakdown

CVSS version:
CVSS v3.0

**Base score**

9.8 · Critical

* Base metrics

  | Parameter | Value |
  | --- | --- |
  | Attack vector | Network |
  | Attack complexity | Low |
  | Privileges required | None |
  | User interaction | None |
  | Scope | Unchanged |
  | Confidentiality impact | High |
  | Integrity impact | High |
  | Availability impact | High |
* Scores

  | Parameter | Value |
  | --- | --- |
  | Base score | 9.8 · Critical |
  | Exploitability score | - |
  | Impact score | - |

**Vector:** CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

## References

* [MITRE](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2016-5636)
* [NVD](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-5636)
* [Launchpad](https://launchpad.net/bugs/cve/CVE-2016-5636)
* [Debian](https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2016-5636)

### Related Ubuntu Security Notices (USN)

+ [USN-3134-1](https://usn.ubuntu.com/USN-3134-1)
+ Python vulnerabilities
+ 22 November 2016

### Other references

* <https://bugs.python.org/issue26171>
* <https://bugs.python.org/msg278228>
* <https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-5636>
