How severe is CVE-2016-4965?

CVE-2016-4965 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2016-4965 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (90th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-4965?

CVE-2016-4965 affects Fortinet Fortiwan. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-4965?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2016-4965 published?

CVE-2016-4965 was published on 2016-09-21 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-4965

CVE-2016-4965 is a high-severity vulnerability in Fortinet Fortiwan with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-78.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.8)
CVSS v2: 9.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 4% (90th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-78
Affected product: Fortinet Fortiwan
Published: 2016-09-21
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Fortinet FortiWan (formerly AscernLink) before 4.2.5 allows remote authenticated users with access to the nslookup functionality to execute arbitrary commands with root privileges via the graph parameter to diagnosis_control.php.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-4965?: Fortinet FortiWan (formerly AscernLink) before 4.2.5 allows remote authenticated users with access to the nslookup functionality to execute arbitrary commands with root privileges via the graph parameter to diagnosis_control.php.
How severe is CVE-2016-4965?: CVE-2016-4965 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2016-4965 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (90th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-4965?: CVE-2016-4965 affects Fortinet Fortiwan. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-4965?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2016-4965 published?: CVE-2016-4965 was published on 2016-09-21 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:fortinet:fortiwan:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Fortinet Fortiwan

CVE-2021-26102 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): A relative path traversal vulnerability (CWE-23) in FortiWAN version 4.5.7 and below, 4.4 all versions may allow a…
CVE-2021-26114 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Multiple improper neutralization of special elements used in an SQL command vulnerabilities in FortiWAN before 4.5.9…
CVE-2023-44252 — High (CVSS 8.8): ** UNSUPPORTED WHEN ASSIGNED **An improper authentication vulnerability [CWE-287] in Fortinet FortiWAN version 5.2.0…
CVE-2022-33869 — High (CVSS 8.8): An improper neutralization of special elements used in an OS command vulnerability [CWE-78] in the management…
CVE-2023-44251 — High (CVSS 8.3): ** UNSUPPORTED WHEN ASSIGNED **A improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory ('path traversal')…
CVE-2021-26112 — High (CVSS 8.1): Multiple stack-based buffer overflow vulnerabilities [CWE-121] both in network daemons and in the command line…

All CVEs affecting Fortinet Fortiwan →

Other CWE-78 (OS Command Injection) vulnerabilities

CVE-2026-19188 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A critical OS command injection vulnerability has been identified in the Haiwell IoT Cloud HMI Gateway product. The…
CVE-2026-48362 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): ColdFusion is affected by an Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')…
CVE-2026-16812 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): VeloCloud Orchestrator (VCO) on-prem has a security issue where this issue may allow a remote attacker to access…
CVE-2026-6516 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Zohocorp ManageEngine ADAudit Plus versions before 8606 are affected by Unauthenticated Remote code execution due to…
CVE-2026-46339 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): 9Router is an AI router & token saver. From 0.4.30 until 0.4.37, 9Router's src/proxy.js middleware did not protect…
CVE-2026-59726 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Ruflo is an agent meta-harness for Claude Code and Codex. Prior to 3.16.3, ruflo's default docker-compose deployment…

Browse all CWE-78 (OS Command Injection) vulnerabilities →