How severe is CVE-2016-7561?

CVE-2016-7561 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.2, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2016-7561 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (62nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-7561?

CVE-2016-7561 primarily affects Fortinet Fortiwlc. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-7561?

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-2016-7561 published?

CVE-2016-7561 was published on 2016-10-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-7561

CVE-2016-7561 is a high-severity vulnerability in Fortinet Fortiwlc with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.2. 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: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.2)
CVSS v2: 4.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (62nd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-200
Affected product: Fortinet Fortiwlc
Published: 2016-10-05
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Fortinet FortiWLC 6.1-2-29 and earlier, 7.0-9-1, 7.0-10-0, 8.0-5-0, 8.1-2-0, and 8.2-4-0 allow administrators to obtain sensitive user credentials by reading the pam.log file.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-7561?: Fortinet FortiWLC 6.1-2-29 and earlier, 7.0-9-1, 7.0-10-0, 8.0-5-0, 8.1-2-0, and 8.2-4-0 allow administrators to obtain sensitive user credentials by reading the pam.log file.
How severe is CVE-2016-7561?: CVE-2016-7561 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.2, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2016-7561 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (62nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-7561?: CVE-2016-7561 primarily affects Fortinet Fortiwlc. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-7561?: 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-2016-7561 published?: CVE-2016-7561 was published on 2016-10-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (6)

cpe:2.3:a:fortinet:fortiwlc:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:fortinet:fortiwlc:7.0-9-1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:fortinet:fortiwlc:7.0-10-0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:fortinet:fortiwlc:8.0-5-0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:fortinet:fortiwlc:8.1-2-0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:fortinet:fortiwlc:8.2-4-0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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