MEDIUM
CVE-2018-16261
CWE-295Published: September 6, 2018· Updated: Jun 17, 2026
6.8
CVSS v3.1
Official Description
In Pulse Secure Pulse Desktop Client 5.3RX before 5.3R5 and 9.0R1, there is a Privilege Escalation Vulnerability with Dynamic Certificate Trust.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2018-16261 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.
The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.
A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 6.8.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Exploitability
Attack VectorPhysical
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.0/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Affected Vendors & Products
pulsesecure1 product(s)
pulse secure desktop client
Source: NVD CPE · 9 total CPE entries
Exploit & PoC Resources
NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
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Official Patches & Advisories
All References (2)
Quick Facts
CVE IDCVE-2018-16261
CVSS Score6.8 / 10
SeverityMEDIUM
WeaknessCWE-295
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedSep 6, 2018
Related CVEs (CWE-295)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2018-16261 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.