CVE-2016-20026
ZKTeco ZKBioSecurity 3.0 Hardcoded Credentials Remote Code Execution
Description
ZKTeco ZKBioSecurity 3.0 contains hardcoded credentials in the bundled Apache Tomcat server that allow unauthenticated attackers to access the manager application. Attackers can authenticate with hardcoded credentials stored in tomcat-users.xml to upload malicious WAR archives containing JSP applications and execute arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges.
INFO
Published Date :
March 16, 2026, 2:17 p.m.
Last Modified :
March 16, 2026, 2:53 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
Yes !
Source :
[email protected]
Affected Products
The following products are affected by CVE-2016-20026
vulnerability.
Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the
products
that
are
affected, the information is not represented in the table below.
No affected product recoded yet
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | CRITICAL | 83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10 | ||||
| CVSS 3.1 | CRITICAL | [email protected] | ||||
| CVSS 4.0 | CRITICAL | 83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10 | ||||
| CVSS 4.0 | CRITICAL | [email protected] |
Solution
- Remove hardcoded credentials from tomcat-users.xml.
- Update the bundled Apache Tomcat server.
- Remove or disable the manager application if not needed.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2016-20026.
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2016-20026 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2016-20026
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2016-20026 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
-
Daily CyberSecurity
Weekly Threat Intelligence Briefing: Chrome Zero-Days, SolarWinds RCE, and a Surge in Critical PoCs
The Executive Summary Over the past seven days, our CVE Watchtower intercepted 1,388 new vulnerabilities, highlighting a relentless week in the cybersecurity landscape. While the sheer volume is high, ... Read more
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2016-20026 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
New CVE Received by [email protected]
Mar. 16, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description ZKTeco ZKBioSecurity 3.0 contains hardcoded credentials in the bundled Apache Tomcat server that allow unauthenticated attackers to access the manager application. Attackers can authenticate with hardcoded credentials stored in tomcat-users.xml to upload malicious WAR archives containing JSP applications and execute arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges. Added CVSS V4.0 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:X Added CVSS V3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Added CWE CWE-798 Added Reference https://cxsecurity.com/issue/WLB-2016080266 Added Reference https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/116484 Added Reference https://packetstormsecurity.com/files/138567 Added Reference https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40324/ Added Reference https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/zkteco-zkbiosecurity-hardcoded-credentials-remote-code-execution Added Reference https://www.zeroscience.mk/en/vulnerabilities/ZSL-2016-5362.php