How severe is CVE-2019-16915?

CVE-2019-16915 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, 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 high.

Is CVE-2019-16915 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (89th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2019-16915?

CVE-2019-16915 primarily affects Netgate Pfsense. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2019-16915?

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-2019-16915 published?

CVE-2019-16915 was published on 2019-09-26 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2019-16915

CVE-2019-16915 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Netgate Pfsense with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. 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-22.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 7.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 4% (89th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-22
Affected product: Netgate Pfsense
Published: 2019-09-26
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in pfSense through 2.4.4-p3. widgets/widgets/picture.widget.php uses the widgetkey parameter directly without sanitization (e.g., a basename call) for a pathname to file_get_contents or file_put_contents.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2019-16915?: An issue was discovered in pfSense through 2.4.4-p3. widgets/widgets/picture.widget.php uses the widgetkey parameter directly without sanitization (e.g., a basename call) for a pathname to file_get_contents or file_put_contents.
How severe is CVE-2019-16915?: CVE-2019-16915 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, 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 high.
Is CVE-2019-16915 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (89th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2019-16915?: CVE-2019-16915 primarily affects Netgate Pfsense. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2019-16915?: 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-2019-16915 published?: CVE-2019-16915 was published on 2019-09-26 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (5)

cpe:2.3:a:netgate:pfsense:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:netgate:pfsense:2.4.4:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:netgate:pfsense:2.4.4:p1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:netgate:pfsense:2.4.4:p2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:netgate:pfsense:2.4.4:p3:*:*:*:*:*:*

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