Is CVE-2019-16399 actively exploited?

A proof-of-concept exploit is publicly available for CVE-2019-16399, but active exploitation has not been confirmed.

Can CVE-2019-16399 be exploited remotely?

Yes. CVE-2019-16399 is exploitable remotely over the network (CVSS attack vector: Network).

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2019-16399?

CVE-2019-16399 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (CRITICAL).

HOME VULNERABILITIESCVE-2019-16399

CRITICALPOC

CVE-2019-16399

CWE-798Published: September 18, 2019· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.8

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

Western Digital WD My Book World through II 1.02.12 suffers from Broken Authentication, which allows an attacker to access the /admin/ directory without credentials. An attacker can easily enable SSH from /admin/system_advanced.php?lang=en and login with the default root password welc0me.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2019-16399 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

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 9.8.

A proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit exists for CVE-2019-16399. While not yet confirmed in active campaigns, the availability of PoC code increases exploitation risk substantially.