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CVE Record

CVE-2018-16716: A path traversal vulnerability exists in viewcgi.c in the 2.0.7 through 2.2.26 legacy versions of the NCBI...

A path traversal vulnerability exists in viewcgi.c in the 2.0.7 through 2.2.26 legacy versions of the NCBI ToolBox, which may result in reading of arbitrary files (i.e., significant information disclosure) or file deletion via the nph-viewgif.cgi query string.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysishigh

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2018-16716 affects legacy NCBI ToolBox versions 2.0.7 through 2.2.26. A vulnerable CGI component may let an attacker read arbitrary files or delete files through path traversal. Business risk depends on whether the legacy CGI is still deployed and reachable.

Executive priority

Prioritize validation if the organization runs legacy public CGI services or bioinformatics web tooling. Treat confirmed internet-facing deployments as urgent because the reported impact includes arbitrary file reading and deletion.

Technical view

The reported flaw is path traversal in viewcgi.c, exposed through the nph-viewgif.cgi query string in legacy NCBI ToolBox 2.0.7 through 2.2.26. The documented impacts are significant information disclosure and possible file deletion. No CVSS score, CWE, patch detail, or affected CPE data is provided in the source bundle.

Likely exposure

Exposure is most likely in older web or bioinformatics environments still running the legacy NCBI ToolBox CGI component. Systems without nph-viewgif.cgi deployed or reachable are less likely to be affected.

Exploitation context

The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or cited evidence of active exploitation. Public detail names the vulnerable CGI path and impact class, but no exploit status should be assumed from the provided evidence.

Researcher notes

Evidence is limited to the CVE description and linked public reference. The bundle identifies vulnerable versions and component names, but lacks CVSS, CWE, CPEs, patch status, and exploitation telemetry. Avoid assuming broader NCBI products are affected.

Mitigation direction

  • Inventory web servers for legacy NCBI ToolBox versions 2.0.7 through 2.2.26.
  • Remove or disable the vulnerable CGI component if it is not required.
  • Restrict external access to nph-viewgif.cgi while remediation is assessed.
  • Run CGI processes with least-privilege filesystem permissions.
  • Check vendor or project guidance for replacement or upgrade options.

Validation and detection

  • Confirm whether NCBI ToolBox is installed and identify its exact version.
  • Check web roots and CGI directories for nph-viewgif.cgi.
  • Review access logs for unexpected requests to the CGI endpoint.
  • Assess CGI process permissions for file read and deletion reach.
  • Document whether the vulnerable component is internet-facing, internal, or absent.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
3

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

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

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description · low confidence lookup

File access behavior lookup

The CVE wording references file access or upload behavior, so file telemetry and web shell review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.

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cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2018-16716 mapping review

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

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.

0CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
2Source links

CVSS and timeline data

No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
n/an/an/aListed
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.