Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This issue affects FileZilla Client 3.17.0.0's Windows installer uninstaller path handling. An unquoted path can cause Windows to run an unintended program in some conditions. Business risk is endpoint compromise or misuse of a user context on systems still running this old client version.
Executive priority
Address through normal vulnerability remediation, with faster handling for privileged workstations or exposed remote-access users. This is not supported as a crisis-level issue by the supplied evidence, but public exploit disclosure makes stale installations undesirable.
Technical view
CVE-2016-15003 is a CWE-428 unquoted search path issue in FileZilla Client 3.17.0.0, specifically C:\Program Files\FileZilla FTP Client\uninstall.exe. The CVSS 3.1 vector is AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L, indicating low-complexity exploitation requiring low privileges with limited confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to endpoints with FileZilla Client 3.17.0.0 installed, apparently on Windows given the affected path. Organizations with managed software inventory should be able to identify affected installations directly. Evidence in the provided sources does not identify other FileZilla versions as affected.
Exploitation context
The source bundle states public exploit disclosure and that the attack can be initiated remotely. CISA KEV is false, and no provided source confirms active exploitation in the wild. Treat this as publicly documented but not proven to be actively exploited from the supplied evidence.
Researcher notes
The record is narrow: affected product and version are FileZilla Client 3.17.0.0, component Installer, file uninstall.exe. No patch version, vendor advisory, or active exploitation evidence is included. Avoid expanding scope beyond the named version without independent vendor confirmation.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory endpoints for FileZilla Client 3.17.0.0.
- Check FileZilla vendor guidance for fixed versions or removal instructions.
- Upgrade or remove affected installations where business use is not required.
- Review endpoint controls for unexpected process execution from writable paths.
- Prioritize systems used by privileged IT or file-transfer operators.
Validation and detection
- Confirm installed FileZilla Client version on Windows endpoints.
- Check whether uninstall.exe exists in the documented FileZilla installation path.
- Verify endpoint inventory covers unmanaged laptops and legacy workstations.
- Review EDR telemetry for unusual execution around FileZilla uninstall activity.
- Document exceptions where upgrade or removal is delayed.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-428: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2016-15003 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Medium
- CVSS
- 6.3 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L2.83.4Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
6.3MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/39803/CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://youtu.be/r06VwwJ9J4MCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://vuldb.com/?id.97204CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Unquoted Search Path or Element
Unquoted Search Path or Element represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.