CVE-2016-4971: GNU wget before 1.18 allows remote servers to write to arbitrary files by redirecting a request from HTTP to a crafted FTP resource.
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Plan (action score 49/100)
- Public proof-of-concept code exists (Exploit-DB, GitHub); there is no record of exploitation in the wild.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 46% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 98.8% of all records.
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. No account or password is required. A user must open a link or visit a page. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
- Fixed version: wget (Alpine:v3.4) 1.17.1-r1; wget (Debian:12) 1.18-1; wget (Debian:7) 1.13.4-3+deb7u3.
Add it to your regular patch cycle. Upgrade to wget (Alpine:v3.4) 1.17.1-r1; wget (Debian:12) 1.18-1; wget (Debian:7) 1.13.4-3+deb7u3 or later.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS
- Published
- Jun 30, 2016
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 46.0% · 98th percentile
- CWE
- —
Report tools
Action score
49
Add it to your regular patch cycle.
- CVSS
- 35 / 40 · 8.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 14 / 30 · 46.0%
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- Proof of concept exists, no weaponized module
- A fix has been released
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
Is your version affected? Check itNoroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| gnu | wget | cpe:2.3:a:gnu:wget |
| canonical | ubuntu linux | cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux |
| oracle | solaris | cpe:2.3:o:oracle:solaris |
| paloaltonetworks | pan-os | cpe:2.3:o:paloaltonetworks:pan-os |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- paloaltonetworks pan-os6.1.0 and later · up to 6.1.16 inclusive
- paloaltonetworks pan-os7.0.0 and later · up to 7.0.14 inclusive
- paloaltonetworks pan-os7.1.0 and later · up to 7.1.9 inclusive
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine:v3.4 | wget | before 1.17.1-r1 | 1.17.1-r1 |
| Debian:12 | wget | before 1.18-1 | 1.18-1 |
| Debian:7 | wget | before 1.13.4-3+deb7u3 | 1.13.4-3+deb7u3 |
| openSUSE:Tumbleweed | wget | before 1.18-2.3 | 1.18-2.3 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | wget | before 0:1.14-13.el7 | 0:1.14-13.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | wget-debuginfo | before 0:1.14-13.el7 | 0:1.14-13.el7 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP1 | wget | before 1.14-10.3 | 1.14-10.3 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 11-SECURITY | wget-openssl1 | before 1.11.4-1.32.1 | 1.11.4-1.32.1 |
| SUSE:OpenStack Cloud 5 | wget | before 1.11.4-1.32.1 | 1.11.4-1.32.1 |
Same product
gnu: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2017-13089GNU Wget: stack overflow in HTTP protocol handling59Plan
- CVE-2014-4877Absolute path traversal vulnerability in GNU Wget before 1.16, when recursion is enabled, allows remote FTP servers to write to arbitrary…49Plan
- CVE-2017-13090GNU Wget: heap overflow in HTTP protocol handling46Plan
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2009-3490Sep 30, 2009 · GNU Wget before 1.12 does not properly handle a '\0' character in a domain name in the Common Name field of an X.509 certificate, which…28Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2010-2252Jul 6, 2010 · GNU Wget 1.12 and earlier uses a server-provided filename instead of the original URL to determine the destination filename of a download…28Monitor
- Later →CVE-2016-7098Sep 26, 2016 · Race condition in wget 1.17 and earlier, when used in recursive or mirroring mode to download a single file, might allow remote servers to…34Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| alpine:wget | 1.17.1-r1 · Alpine:v3.4 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:wget | 1.18-1 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:wget | 1.18-2.3 · openSUSE:Tumbleweed | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:wget | 0:1.14-13.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:wget-debuginfo | 0:1.14-13.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:wget | 1.14-10.3 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP1 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:wget-openssl1 | 1.11.4-1.32.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 11-SECURITY | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
Proof of concept available
A public proof of concept or detection signature exists. Exploit knowledge is out there; don't delay patching.
Evidence
- Exploit-DB entry ×2
- Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub ×3
Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.
| Source | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | 3 repositories | 2016-07-02 → 2020-05-12 |
| Exploit-DB entry | remote | 2021-04-30 |
| Exploit-DB entry | remote | 2016-07-06 |
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
- Published
- First PoC+1 d
- TodayNov 15, 2026+3790 d
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
Not on record for this CVE: EPSS history · researcher credit · variant or chain candidate · public bounty program.
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- No account or password is required.
- A user must open a link or visit a page.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- high · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
—
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.
Change log (1)
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Show all references (9 more)Show less
- lists.gnu.org/archive/html/info-gnu/2016-06/msg00004.html
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/2016-08/msg00043.html
- rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2587.html
- www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/bulletinjul2016-3090568.html
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/91530
- www.securitytracker.com/id/1036133
- www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3012-1
- security.gentoo.org/glsa/201610-11
- security.paloaltonetworks.com/CVE-2016-4971
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.