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PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2016-9259 Tenable CVE debrief

CVE-2016-9259 is a cross-site scripting (XSS) issue in Tenable Nessus versions before 6.9.1. According to the published description, remote authenticated users could inject arbitrary web script or HTML through unspecified vectors. Tenable and NVD identify this as a medium-severity web application issue, so the main defense is to upgrade and limit who can interact with the Nessus web interface.

Vendor
Tenable
Product
Nessus
CVSS
MEDIUM 5.4
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2017-02-28
Original CVE updated
2026-05-13
Advisory published
2017-02-28
Advisory updated
2026-05-13

Who should care

Tenable Nessus administrators, vulnerability management teams, and security operators who allow authenticated users to access the Nessus web interface should prioritize this advisory. It is especially relevant in shared environments or any deployment where lower-trust users can log in to Nessus.

Technical summary

NVD classifies this issue as CWE-79 (Cross-Site Scripting) with CVSS 3.0 vector CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N, scoring 5.4 (Medium). The affected product is Tenable Nessus, with NVD listing vulnerable CPE entries for versions 6.8, 6.8.1, 6.8.2, and 6.9. The published description states that authenticated remote users can inject arbitrary web script or HTML, with the exact injection vectors not specified in the supplied record.

Defensive priority

Medium. Patch promptly if you operate Nessus 6.9 or earlier, especially where multiple authenticated users, delegated access, or less-trusted operators can use the web UI.

Recommended defensive actions

  • Upgrade Tenable Nessus to version 6.9.1 or later, as identified in the published advisory and CVE description.
  • Restrict authenticated access to the Nessus web interface to only trusted administrators and operators.
  • Review role-based access and account hygiene so lower-trust users cannot reach unnecessary management functions.
  • Reconfirm that any deployed Nessus instances or scanners are on a fixed version, including centrally managed installations.
  • Monitor the Nessus vendor advisory and your internal patch status to ensure the remediation is fully applied.

Evidence notes

The CVE record was published on 2017-02-28 and last modified on 2026-05-13 in the supplied NVD data. The supplied sources identify the weakness as CWE-79 and provide the CVSS 3.0 vector and score. NVD also lists affected Nessus CPEs for 6.8, 6.8.1, 6.8.2, and 6.9. The Tenable advisory reference is included in the official CVE references, but the supplied corpus does not provide its full text.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2016-9259 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-9259

    CVE Program - Official CVE Program record with source-provided CVE metadata.

  • CVE-2016-9259 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-9259

    NIST National Vulnerability Database - Official NIST NVD detail page and source-specific vulnerability assessment.

Supplemental references

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.