Raw vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:XCVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.
Summary
CVE-2016-20024 is a critical-severity Insertion of Sensitive Information into Externally-Accessible File or Directory (CWE-538) vulnerability in Cxsecurity (inferred from references). Its CVSS base score is 9.3 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Credentials In Files (T1552.001); ranked in the top 48% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to AC-3 (Access Enforcement) and AC-16 (Security and Privacy Attributes) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
CVE-2016-20024 is an insecure file permissions vulnerability (CWE-538) in ZKTeco ZKTime.Net 3.0.1.6. The ZKTimeNet3.0 directory and its contents feature world-writable permissions, enabling unprivileged users to modify executable files. This flaw allows replacement of legitimate executables with malicious binaries to achieve privilege escalation. The vulnerability carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) and was published on 2026-03-16T14:17:48.350.
Attackers with unprivileged access can exploit the world-writable permissions on the ZKTimeNet3.0 directory to overwrite executable files with malicious versions. Successful exploitation leads to privilege escalation, potentially granting attackers higher-level access on the affected system. The CVSS vector indicates it is exploitable remotely by unauthenticated attackers with low complexity and no user interaction required.
Advisories and related resources, including exploit details, are available at https://cxsecurity.com/issue/WLB-2016080264, https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/116487, https://packetstormsecurity.com/files/138565, https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40322/, and https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/zkteco-zktime-net-insecure-file-permissions-privilege-escalation.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2016-10803
Vulnerability Data
ZKTeco ZKTime.Net 3.0.1.6 contains an insecure file permissions vulnerability that allows unprivileged users to escalate privileges by modifying executable files. Attackers can exploit world-writable permissions on the ZKTimeNet3.0 directory and its contents to replace executable files with malicious binaries for…
more
privilege escalation.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
—
—
- 2 hardening rules · 2 OS baselines
V14.1.2V14.2.8
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Enforces per-object authorizations so that even if a file or directory is reachable, the sensitive contents remain inaccessible to unauthorized actors.
Associates sensitivity labels with data objects so that subsequent storage or flow decisions can enforce that only appropriately protected files or directories receive the data.
Controls information flows between objects, directly stopping sensitive data from being written into locations whose ACLs or visibility would expose it.
Requires confidentiality protection of information at rest, which can be implemented by restricting storage locations or encrypting contents that would otherwise be placed in externally visible files.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Least-privilege file and directory permissions directly prevent unauthorized actors from reading sensitive data placed in accessible locations.
Protecting data-at-rest encompasses file-level access controls and encryption that stop exposure of sensitive information in externally reachable paths.
Hardened configuration baselines and ongoing config management reduce the chance that sensitive data is written to world-readable files or directories.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
By ensuring that only the minimum necessary data is present in files or directories that may be reachable by external parties, the control lowers the impact of any subsequent exposure.
Requiring visible or metadata labels on classified information helps ensure that files placed in externally accessible locations still carry an explicit sensitivity marker, lowering the likelihood of unnoticed exposure.
The control’s requirement to remove or securely destroy information stored in externally accessible locations reduces the risk of sensitive data being left in files or directories that external parties can reach.
Verifying and sanitizing equipment prior to disposal or resale prevents sensitive files or directories from remaining accessible to external parties who later obtain the hardware.
Hardening callouts derived
Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (authoritative rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).
Oracle Linux 8 (1 rule)
- V-248579 OL 8 must restrict access to the kernel message buffer. prevents CWE-538
RHEL 8 (1 rule)
- V-230269 RHEL 8 must restrict access to the kernel message buffer. prevents CWE-538