CVE-2016-4525
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedUnspecified ActiveX controls in Advantech WebAccess before 8.1_20160519 allow remote authenticated users to obtain sensitive information or modify data via unknown vectors, related to the INTERFACESAFE_FOR_UNTRUSTED_CALLER (aka safe for scripting) flag.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceUnspecified ActiveX controls in Advantech WebAccess had the INTERFACESAFE_FOR_UNTRUSTED_CALLER flag improperly configured, allowing remote authenticated users to potentially obtain sensitive information or modify data through unknown vectors. The 'safe for scripting' flag was incorrectly set, enabling untrusted script callers to interact with these controls.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data<= 8.1CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Confirm Advantech WebAccess installationCheck Windows installed programs list (Control Panel > Programs and Features) or look for 'Advantech WebAccess' in the systemAffected if The software is not found in the installed programs list, then the system is not affected by this specific vulnerability
-
Identify installed WebAccess versionCheck the version information of the Advantech WebAccess installation. Typically found in the program's properties (right-click on the software in Programs and Features > Properties) or check the installation directory for version informationAffected if The installed version is 8.1 or any version lower than 8.1, indicating the vulnerable version range
-
Locate ActiveX control filesSearch the Advantech WebAccess installation directory for .ocx files (ActiveX controls). Common locations include C:\Program Files\Advantech\WebAccess or similar paths under the WebAccess folderAffected if ActiveX control files (.ocx) exist in the WebAccess installation directory, meaning the vulnerable component is present
-
Check if WebAccess web interface is enabledVerify if the IIS or web service hosting Advantech WebAccess is running and accessible. Check IIS Manager for WebAccess sites or attempt to access the typical WebAccess URL (such as http://localhost/webaccess)Affected if The web interface is accessible and ActiveX controls are loaded, the vulnerability could be exploited through browser interaction
A system is affected if Advantech WebAccess version 8.1 or lower is installed with ActiveX controls present and the web interface is accessible, as this allows untrusted script callers to interact with the improperly configured ActiveX controls.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataUpdate Advantech WebAccess to version 8.1_20160519 or later to patch the ActiveX control vulnerability. If upgrading is not immediately feasible, disable ActiveX controls in Internet Explorer or restrict network access to trusted users only.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,864.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-4525 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2016-4525 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data