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CVE-2016-6896

Status: ModifiedHigh (7.1)—💥 Exploit

Directory traversal vulnerability in the wp_ajax_update_plugin function in wp-admin/includes/ajax-actions.php in WordPress 4.5.3 allows remote authenticated users to cause a denial of service or read certain text files via a .. (dot dot) in the plugin parameter to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php, as demonstrated by /dev/random read operations that deplete the entropy pool.

CVSS

Exploitation probability (EPSS)

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System, FIRST) estimates how likely a vulnerability is to be exploited in the wild within 30 days. It complements CVSS (impact) and CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).

💥 Public exploits

Exploit code or detection templates are publicly available. This is not the same as confirmed active exploitation (KEV), but it raises the risk: patch with priority.

Affected technologies (1)

CWEs

References

Raw JSON (NVD)

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{
  "id": "CVE-2016-6896",
  "cveTags": [],
  "metrics": {
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        "cvssData": {
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          "baseScore": 5.5,
          "accessVector": "NETWORK",
          "vectorString": "AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:P/I:N/A:P",
          "authentication": "SINGLE",
          "integrityImpact": "NONE",
          "accessComplexity": "LOW",
          "availabilityImpact": "PARTIAL",
          "confidentialityImpact": "PARTIAL"
        },
        "acInsufInfo": false,
        "impactScore": 4.9,
        "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM",
        "obtainAllPrivilege": false,
        "exploitabilityScore": 8,
        "obtainUserPrivilege": false,
        "obtainOtherPrivilege": false,
        "userInteractionRequired": false
      }
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    "cvssMetricV30": [
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          "scope": "UNCHANGED",
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          "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
          "vectorString": "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:H",
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          "userInteraction": "NONE",
          "attackComplexity": "LOW",
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  "published": "2017-01-18T21:59:00.277",
  "references": [
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      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
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  ],
  "vulnStatus": "Modified",
  "weaknesses": [
    {
      "type": "Primary",
      "source": "nvd@nist.gov",
      "description": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "CWE-22"
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  ],
  "descriptions": [
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      "lang": "en",
      "value": "Directory traversal vulnerability in the wp_ajax_update_plugin function in wp-admin/includes/ajax-actions.php in WordPress 4.5.3 allows remote authenticated users to cause a denial of service or read certain text files via a .. (dot dot) in the plugin parameter to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php, as demonstrated by /dev/random read operations that deplete the entropy pool."
    },
    {
      "lang": "es",
      "value": "Vulnerabilidad de salto de directorio en la función wp_ajax_update_plugin en wp-admin/includes/ajax-actions.php en WordPress 4.5.3 permite a usuarios remotos autenticados provocar una denegación de servicio o leer ciertos archivos de texto a través de un .. (punto punto) en el parámetro plugin para wp-admin/admin-ajax.php, según lo demostrado por operaciones de lectura /dev/random que agotan el pool de entropia."
    }
  ],
  "lastModified": "2026-06-17T00:51:57.193",
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