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Medium severity5.3NVD Advisory· Published Dec 11, 2016· Updated May 6, 2026

CVE-2016-9847

CVE-2016-9847

Description

An issue was discovered in phpMyAdmin. When the user does not specify a blowfish_secret key for encrypting cookies, phpMyAdmin generates one at runtime. A vulnerability was reported where the way this value is created uses a weak algorithm. This could allow an attacker to determine the user's blowfish_secret and potentially decrypt their cookies. All 4.6.x versions (prior to 4.6.5), 4.4.x versions (prior to 4.4.15.9), and 4.0.x versions (prior to 4.0.10.18) are affected.

AI Insight

LLM-synthesized narrative grounded in this CVE's description and references.

phpMyAdmin uses a weak algorithm to generate the blowfish_secret key when not configured, allowing attackers to potentially decrypt cookies.

## Vulnerability phpMyAdmin versions prior to 4.6.5, 4.4.15.9, and 4.0.10.18 generate a runtime blowfish_secret key using a weak algorithm when the user does not specify one in config.inc.php [1][3]. This secret is used to encrypt cookies for cookie-based authentication [3].

Exploitation

An attacker who can observe or influence the generated secret may determine the blowfish_secret value due to the weak algorithm [1][3]. The vulnerability only affects installations using cookie authentication without a manually defined $cfg['blowfish_secret'] [3]. No specific attack vector is detailed in the references, but the weakness could be exploited to recover the secret.

Impact

Successful exploitation allows an attacker to decrypt phpMyAdmin cookies, potentially leading to session hijacking and unauthorized access to the database management interface [1][3]. The impact is limited to cookie authentication mode.

Mitigation

Upgrade to phpMyAdmin 4.6.5, 4.4.15.9, or 4.0.10.18 or later [3][4]. As a workaround, users can define a strong, random $cfg['blowfish_secret'] in their config.inc.php file [3]. No other workarounds are available.

References
  1. NVD - CVE-2016-9847
  2. PMASA-2016-58
  3. Multiple vulnerabilities (GLSA 201701-32) — Gentoo security

AI Insight generated on May 23, 2026. Synthesized from this CVE's description and the cited reference URLs; citations are validated against the source bundle.

Affected packages

Versions sourced from the GitHub Security Advisory.

PackageAffected versionsPatched versions
phpmyadmin/phpmyadminPackagist
>= 4.6, < 4.6.54.6.5
phpmyadmin/phpmyadminPackagist
>= 4.4, < 4.4.15.94.4.15.9
phpmyadmin/phpmyadminPackagist
>= 4.0, < 4.0.10.184.0.10.18

Affected products

66
  • PhpMyAdmin/phpMyAdmin64 versions
    cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*+ 63 more
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.0.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.0.10.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.0.10.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.0.10.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.0.10.12:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.0.10.13:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.0.10.14:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.0.10.15:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.0.10.16:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.0.10.17:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.0.10.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.0.10.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.0.10.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.0.10.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.0.10.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.0.10.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.0.10.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.0.10.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.0.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.0.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.0.4.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.0.4.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.0.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.0.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.0.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.0.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.0.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.4.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.4.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.4.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.4.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.4.12:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.4.13:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.4.13.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.4.14:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.4.14.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.4.15:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.4.15.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.4.15.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.4.15.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.4.15.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.4.15.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.4.15.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.4.15.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.4.15.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.4.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.4.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.4.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.4.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.4.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.4.6.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.4.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.4.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.4.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.6.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.6.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.6.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:phpmyadmin:phpmyadmin:4.6.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • (no CPE)range: >=4.0.0 <4.0.10.18 || >=4.4.0 <4.4.15.9 || >=4.6.0 <4.6.5
  • ghsa-coords2 versions
    pkg:composer/phpmyadmin/phpmyadminpkg:rpm/opensuse/phpMyAdmin&distro=openSUSE%20Tumbleweed
    >= 4.6, < 4.6.5+ 1 more
    • (no CPE)range: >= 4.6, < 4.6.5
    • (no CPE)range: < 4.6.5.2-1.1

Patches

0

No patches discovered yet.

Vulnerability mechanics

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References

6

News mentions

0

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