# CVE-2016-20028: ZKTeco ZKBioSecurity CSRF in superadmin account creation

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2016-20028-zkteco-zkbiosecurity-csrf-in-superadmin-account-creation  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-03-16. Updated: 2026-06-08  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2016-20028 · Severity: medium · CVSS 4.3 · Published 2026-03-16

ZKTeco ZKBioSecurity is a web-based security platform used for access control, video surveillance, and visitor management. A security flaw allows an attacker to trick a logged-in administrator into unknowingly performing actions on the platform, such as creating new 'superadmin' accounts. This could lead to an unauthorized person gaining full control over the building's security systems, including door access and video feeds.

Technologies: [Zkteco ZKBioSecurity](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/zkbiosecurity). Vendors: [Zkteco](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/zkteco).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2016-20028 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2016-20028 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2016-20028?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 4.3, published 16 March 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Zkteco ZKBioSecurity <= 3.0.1.0_R_230.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2016-20028?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2016-20028 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a network appliance.

**Am I affected by CVE-2016-20028?** Check whether you run Zkteco ZKBioSecurity at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

A Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability exists in ZKTeco ZKBioSecurity 3.0 (specifically tested on version 3.0.1.0_R_230). The application's web interface fails to implement sufficient validity checks (such as anti-CSRF tokens) on sensitive HTTP requests. An attacker can craft a malicious HTML page that, when visited by a logged-in administrator, silently submits a POST request to the '/authUserAction!edit.action' endpoint. This request can be configured to create a new user account with 'isSuperuser' set to true, effectively granting the attacker full administrative access to the security management platform. The vulnerability was originally discovered by Zero Science Lab (ZSL-2016-5364).

## Affected products

- ZKTeco ZKBioSecurity <= 3.0.1.0_R_230

## Timeline

- 2016-07-18: disclosed: Vulnerability discovered by Zero Science Lab
- 2016-08-31: advisory: Public exploit and advisory released by Zero Science Lab and Exploit-DB
- 2026-03-16: other: CVE-2016-20028 assigned/published in NVD

## References

- [https://cxsecurity.com/issue/WLB-2016080268](https://cxsecurity.com/issue/WLB-2016080268)
- [https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/116477](https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/116477)
- [https://packetstormsecurity.com/files/138569](https://packetstormsecurity.com/files/138569)
- [https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40325/](https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40325/)
- [https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/zkteco-zkbiosecurity-cross-site-request-forgery-superadmin](https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/zkteco-zkbiosecurity-cross-site-request-forgery-superadmin)
- [https://www.zeroscience.mk/en/vulnerabilities/ZSL-2016-5364.php](https://www.zeroscience.mk/en/vulnerabilities/ZSL-2016-5364.php)

## Related threats

- [ZKTeco ZKBioSecurity auth bypass in visLogin.jsp](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2016-20031-zkteco-zkbiosecurity-auth-bypass-in-vislogin-jsp)
- [ZKTeco ZKBioSecurity user enumeration in authLoginAction](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2016-20030-zkteco-zkbiosecurity-user-enumeration-in-authloginaction)
- [ZKTeco ZKBioSecurity directory traversal in baseAction!getPageXML.action](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2016-20029-zkteco-zkbiosecurity-directory-traversal-in-baseaction-getpagexml)
- [ZKTeco ZKBioSecurity reflected XSS in multiple scripts](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2016-20027-zkteco-zkbiosecurity-reflected-xss-in-multiple-scripts)
- [ZKTeco ZKBioSecurity hardcoded credentials in bundled Apache Tomcat](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2016-20026-zkteco-zkbiosecurity-hardcoded-credentials-in-bundled-apache)