How severe is CVE-2016-7542?

CVE-2016-7542 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.9, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2016-7542 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (72nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-7542?

CVE-2016-7542 primarily affects Fortinet Fortios. In total, 12 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-7542?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2016-7542 published?

CVE-2016-7542 was published on 2017-03-30 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-7542

CVE-2016-7542 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Fortinet Fortios with a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.9. 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-200.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 4.9)
CVSS v2: 4.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (72nd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-200
Affected product: Fortinet Fortios
Published: 2017-03-30
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A read-only administrator on Fortinet devices with FortiOS 5.2.x before 5.2.10 GA and 5.4.x before 5.4.2 GA may have access to read-write administrators password hashes (not including super-admins) stored on the appliance via the webui REST API, and may therefore be able to crack them.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-7542?: A read-only administrator on Fortinet devices with FortiOS 5.2.x before 5.2.10 GA and 5.4.x before 5.4.2 GA may have access to read-write administrators password hashes (not including super-admins) stored on the appliance via the webui REST API, and may therefore be able to crack them.
How severe is CVE-2016-7542?: CVE-2016-7542 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.9, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2016-7542 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (72nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-7542?: CVE-2016-7542 primarily affects Fortinet Fortios. In total, 12 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-7542?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2016-7542 published?: CVE-2016-7542 was published on 2017-03-30 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (12)

cpe:2.3:o:fortinet:fortios:5.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fortinet:fortios:5.2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fortinet:fortios:5.2.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fortinet:fortios:5.2.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fortinet:fortios:5.2.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fortinet:fortios:5.2.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fortinet:fortios:5.2.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fortinet:fortios:5.2.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fortinet:fortios:5.2.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fortinet:fortios:5.2.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fortinet:fortios:5.4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fortinet:fortios:5.4.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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