How severe is CVE-2016-6896?

CVE-2016-6896 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is low, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2016-6896 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 38% (98th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-6896?

CVE-2016-6896 affects Wordpress. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-6896?

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-2016-6896 published?

CVE-2016-6896 was published on 2017-01-18 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-6896

CVE-2016-6896 is a high-severity vulnerability in Wordpress with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.1. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 38% places it in the 98th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-22.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.1)
CVSS v2: 5.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 38% (98th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-22
Affected product: Wordpress
Published: 2017-01-18
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

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.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-6896?: 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.
How severe is CVE-2016-6896?: CVE-2016-6896 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is low, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2016-6896 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 38% (98th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-6896?: CVE-2016-6896 affects Wordpress. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-6896?: 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-2016-6896 published?: CVE-2016-6896 was published on 2017-01-18 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:wordpress:wordpress:4.5.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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