LiveActive security incident?Get immediate response
CVE Record

CVE-2019-16915: An issue was discovered in pfSense through 2.4.4-p3.

An issue was discovered in pfSense through 2.4.4-p3. widgets/widgets/picture.widget.php uses the widgetkey parameter directly without sanitization (e.g., a basename call) for a pathname to file_get_contents or file_put_contents.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
Discuss exposureBack to CVEs
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysishigh

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2019-16915 is a pfSense dashboard widget flaw. In versions through 2.4.4-p3, the picture widget used a request parameter as part of a file path without proper sanitization. On a firewall management system, unintended file read or write behavior can create meaningful operational risk, especially if the admin interface is exposed or broadly accessible.

Executive priority

Prioritize remediation for any internet-reachable or widely accessible pfSense management interface. Even without confirmed active exploitation, file path handling flaws on firewall administration systems deserve prompt attention because compromise can affect network control and visibility.

Technical view

The vulnerable code path is widgets/widgets/picture.widget.php. The widgetkey parameter was used directly in file_get_contents or file_put_contents path handling without a basename-style restriction. The public record identifies pfSense through 2.4.4-p3 as affected. The provided sources do not include CVSS, CWE, authentication requirements, or a complete exploitability assessment.

Likely exposure

Exposure is likely limited to pfSense systems through 2.4.4-p3 where the webConfigurator/dashboard widget functionality is reachable. Risk increases if the management interface is internet-accessible, shared across many administrators, or lacks strong access controls.

Exploitation context

The supplied bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or cited evidence of active exploitation. Public references include a vendor issue, a fixing commit, and a vulnerability database entry, but the bundle does not provide exploit maturity or real-world attack data.

Researcher notes

Key gaps remain: no CVSS, no CWE, no confirmed authentication boundary, and no KEV evidence in the supplied bundle. Analysis should stay tied to the vulnerable widgetkey path handling and the vendor commit, not generalized to unrelated pfSense components.

Mitigation direction

  • Upgrade pfSense beyond 2.4.4-p3 using vendor-supported guidance.
  • Confirm the fixing commit or equivalent sanitization is present.
  • Restrict pfSense management access to trusted networks or VPN paths.
  • Review administrative account access and remove unnecessary users.
  • Check vendor advisories for any backported fixes or additional hardening.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory all pfSense instances and record exact versions.
  • Check whether widgets/widgets/picture.widget.php contains basename-style widgetkey sanitization.
  • Verify webConfigurator is not exposed to untrusted networks.
  • Review admin interface logs for unusual widget or file activity.
  • Confirm backups exist before applying pfSense updates.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
5

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

Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.

cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2019-16915 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

Open ATT&CK lookup
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
4Source 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.