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PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2016-20024 ZKTeco Inc. CVE debrief

CVE-2016-20024 is a critical vulnerability in ZKTeco ZKTime.Net 3.0.1.6, allowing unprivileged users to escalate privileges by modifying executable files due to insecure file permissions. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 9.3 and is classified as CRITICAL.

Vendor
ZKTeco Inc.
Product
ZKTeco ZKTime.Net
CVSS
CRITICAL 9.3
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2026-03-16
Original CVE updated
2026-06-08
Advisory published
2026-03-16
Advisory updated
2026-06-08

Who should care

Administrators and users of ZKTeco ZKTime.Net 3.0.1.6 should be aware of this vulnerability and take necessary actions to mitigate it.

Technical summary

The vulnerability is caused by world-writable permissions on the ZKTimeNet3.0 directory and its contents, allowing attackers to replace executable files with malicious binaries for privilege escalation.

Defensive priority

HIGH

Recommended defensive actions

  • Apply patches or updates to fix the insecure file permissions vulnerability.
  • Restrict write permissions to authorized users and groups.
  • Monitor the system for suspicious activity.

Evidence notes

The vulnerability was reported by an unknown vendor and has been documented in various sources, including [ref-4], [ref-5], [ref-6], [ref-7], [ref-8], and [ref-9].

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2016-20024 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-20024

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

  • CVE-2016-20024 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-20024

    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.