HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2019-16897
CRITICAL

CVE-2019-16897

CWE-269Published: October 28, 2019· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

In K7 Antivirus Premium 16.0.xxx through 16.0.0120; K7 Total Security 16.0.xxx through 16.0.0120; and K7 Ultimate Security 16.0.xxx through 16.0.0120, the module K7TSHlpr.dll improperly validates the administrative privileges of the user, allowing arbitrary registry writes in the K7AVOptn.dll module to facilitate escalation of privileges via inter-process communication with a service process.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2019-16897 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.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

k7computing3 product(s)
k7 antivirus premiumk7 total securityk7 ultimate security
Source: NVD CPE · 3 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
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

ADVISORYhttps://github.com/NtRaiseHardError/Antimalware-Research/blob/master/K7%20Security/Local%20Privilege%20Escalation/v16.0.0120/README.md
ADVISORYhttps://github.com/NtRaiseHardError/Antimalware-Research/blob/master/K7%20Security/Local%20Privilege%20Escalation/v16.0.0120/README.md

All References (2)

→
https://github.com/NtRaiseHardError/Antimalware-Research/blob/master/K7%20Security/Local%20Privilege%20Escalation/v16.0.0120/README.mdExploit · Third Party Advisory
→
https://github.com/NtRaiseHardError/Antimalware-Research/blob/master/K7%20Security/Local%20Privilege%20Escalation/v16.0.0120/README.mdExploit · Third Party Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2019-16897
CVSS Score9.8 / 10
SeverityCRITICAL
WeaknessCWE-269
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedOct 28, 2019

Related CVEs (CWE-269)

CVE-2024-6240
10.0
CVE-2021-1388
10.0
CVE-2022-24783
10.0
CVE-2025-0505
10.0
CVE-2026-31852
10.0
CVE-2018-4310
10.0

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2019-16897 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.
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