How severe is CVE-2019-16941?

CVE-2019-16941 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-2019-16941 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 5% (91st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2019-16941?

CVE-2019-16941 affects Nsa Ghidra. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2019-16941?

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-2019-16941 published?

CVE-2019-16941 was published on 2019-09-28 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2019-16941

CVE-2019-16941 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Nsa Ghidra 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-91.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 6.8
EPSS exploit prediction: 5% (91st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-91
Affected product: Nsa Ghidra
Published: 2019-09-28
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

NSA Ghidra through 9.0.4, when experimental mode is enabled, allows arbitrary code execution if the Read XML Files feature of Bit Patterns Explorer is used with a modified XML document. This occurs in Features/BytePatterns/src/main/java/ghidra/bitpatterns/info/FileBitPatternInfoReader.java. An attack could start with an XML document that was originally created by DumpFunctionPatternInfoScript but then directly modified by an attacker (for example, to make a java.lang.Runtime.exec call).

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2019-16941?: NSA Ghidra through 9.0.4, when experimental mode is enabled, allows arbitrary code execution if the Read XML Files feature of Bit Patterns Explorer is used with a modified XML document. This occurs in Features/BytePatterns/src/main/java/ghidra/bitpatterns/info/FileBitPatternInfoReader.java. An attack could start with an XML document that was originally created by DumpFunctionPatternInfoScript but then directly modified by an attacker (for example, to make a java.lang.Runtime.exec call).
How severe is CVE-2019-16941?: CVE-2019-16941 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-2019-16941 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 5% (91st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2019-16941?: CVE-2019-16941 affects Nsa Ghidra. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2019-16941?: 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-2019-16941 published?: CVE-2019-16941 was published on 2019-09-28 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:nsa:ghidra:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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