How severe is CVE-2016-8491?

CVE-2016-8491 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.1, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.

Is CVE-2016-8491 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (71st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-8491?

CVE-2016-8491 primarily affects Fortinet Fortiwlc. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-8491?

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

When was CVE-2016-8491 published?

CVE-2016-8491 was published on 2017-02-01 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-8491

CVE-2016-8491 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Fortinet Fortiwlc with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.1. 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-798.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.1)
CVSS v2: 9.4
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (71st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-798
Affected product: Fortinet Fortiwlc
Published: 2017-02-01
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The presence of a hardcoded account named 'core' in Fortinet FortiWLC allows attackers to gain unauthorized read/write access via a remote shell.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-8491?: The presence of a hardcoded account named 'core' in Fortinet FortiWLC allows attackers to gain unauthorized read/write access via a remote shell.
How severe is CVE-2016-8491?: CVE-2016-8491 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.1, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.
Is CVE-2016-8491 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (71st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-8491?: CVE-2016-8491 primarily affects Fortinet Fortiwlc. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-8491?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2016-8491 published?: CVE-2016-8491 was published on 2017-02-01 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (5)

cpe:2.3:h:fortinet:fortiwlc:7.0-9-1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:h:fortinet:fortiwlc:7.0-10-0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:h:fortinet:fortiwlc:8.1-2-0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:h:fortinet:fortiwlc:8.1-3-2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:h:fortinet:fortiwlc:8.2-4-0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Fortinet Fortiwlc

CVE-2017-17540 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): The presence of a hardcoded account in Fortinet FortiWLC 8.3.3 allows attackers to gain unauthorized read/write access…
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CVE-2017-7341 — High (CVSS 7.2): An OS Command Injection vulnerability in Fortinet FortiWLC 6.1-2 through 6.1-5, 7.0-7 through 7.0-10, 8.0 through 8.2,…

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