CVE-2016-20021

In Gentoo Portage before 3.0.47, there is missing PGP validation of executed code: the standalone emerge-webrsync downloads a .gpgsig file but does not perform signature verification. Unless emerge-webrsync is used, Portage is not vulnerable.

Published: 2024-01-11 Last update: 2026-06-16 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]
NVD Status：Modified，CVE State: published
View at NVD, CVE.org, EUVD

CVE-2016-20021 is rated Moderate Risk (52.4/100): CVSS Critical severity, with low exploitation likelihood (EPSS 0.46%). Review affected assets and schedule remediation.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2016-20021

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2026-06-15 0.04% 0.46% +0.43%
2 2025-11-01 0.05% 0.04% -0.01%
3 2025-06-02 — 0.05% —

Full EPSS history (9 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2016-20021

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
9.8 3.1 CRITICAL
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:N)
No account or special rights needed—anonymous or random user is enough.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:H)
They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:H)
Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.
 3.9 5.9 [email protected]
9.8 3.1 CRITICAL
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:N)
No account or special rights needed—anonymous or random user is enough.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:H)
They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:H)
Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.
 3.9 5.9 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2016-20021

GitHub Security Advisory for CVE-2016-20021

GHSA-pw5x-x5jw-ccmh · Severity: high · Ecosystem: pip — Gentoo Portage missing PGP validation of executed code

OS Trackers for CVE-2016-20021

vendor priority summary link
gentoo normal CVE-2016-20021: 1 GLSA(s) (202409-01), 1 atom(s) (sys-apps/portage); latest impact normal. https://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?quicksearch=CVE-2016-20021

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2016-20021

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
gentoo portage < 3.0.47 cpe:2.3:a:gentoo:portage:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2016-20021

cvelogic Threat Intelligence