Which products and versions are affected by CVE-2019-16278?

Affected: Nostromo Nhttpd (Nazgul). The full list is in the CVE brief.

Is CVE-2019-16278 being exploited in the wild?

It is exploited in the wild, listed in CISA KEV, Industry KEV feed, CIRCL KEV, ENISA EUVD since May 7, 2020.

Is CVE-2019-16278 in the CISA KEV catalog?

Yes. It was added on Nov 7, 2024 with a federal remediation due date of Nov 28, 2024.

Is there a public exploit for CVE-2019-16278?

Public exploit code is available.

Is there a fix for CVE-2019-16278?

Fixed versions are available, including Nostromo Nhttpd 1.9.7.

How urgently should CVE-2019-16278 be patched?

Brandefense priority: patch immediately, because it is listed as exploited in the wild.

Request A Demo

Vulnerability Intelligence

CVE-2019-16278

CriticalExploitedPublic exploit

Directory Traversal in the function http_verify in nostromo nhttpd through 1.9.6 allows an attacker to achieve remote code execution via a crafted HTTP request.

Published Oct 14, 2019 · Updated Nov 6, 2025

Key Facts

Patch immediately

CVE-2019-16278 is a critical-severity vulnerability (CVSS 9.8 v3.1) affecting Nostromo Nhttpd (Nazgul).
It is exploited in the wild, listed in CISA KEV, Industry KEV feed, CIRCL KEV, ENISA EUVD since May 7, 2020. Public exploit code is available.
EPSS estimates a 99% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
Fixed versions are available, including Nostromo Nhttpd 1.9.7.
Brandefense priority: patch immediately, because it is listed as exploited in the wild.

CVSS v3.1

9.8

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS (30-day exploit likelihood)

99%

Higher than 99.9% of all scored CVEs

Exploited in the wild

Yes

4 catalog listings

Public exploit code

Available

Proof-of-concept or weaponized module

Get the full CVE-2019-16278 brief as a PDF

Every affected product and fixed release, exploitation status and a first 24 hours response checklist, emailed within minutes.

Description

Directory Traversal in the function http_verify in nostromo nhttpd through 1.9.6 allows an attacker to achieve remote code execution via a crafted HTTP request.

Known-Exploited Catalog Listings

Catalog	Added	Remediation due	Ransomware use
CISA KEV	Nov 7, 2024	Nov 28, 2024	Not reported
Industry KEV feed	May 7, 2020	Nov 28, 2024	Not reported
CIRCL KEV	Oct 14, 2023	Nov 28, 2024	Not reported
ENISA EUVD	Nov 7, 2024	n/a	Not reported

Required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

Affected Products

1 affected entries in total

Product	Affected versions	Fixed in
Nostromo NhttpdNazgul	See advisory	1.9.7

Patched Releases

Nostromo Nhttpd

1.9.7

Timeline

Publicly disclosed
Oct 14, 2019
Added to Industry KEV feed
May 7, 2020
Added to CIRCL KEV
Oct 14, 2023
Added to CISA KEV
Nov 7, 2024
Added to ENISA EUVD
Nov 7, 2024
Last updated
Nov 6, 2025

Weakness Type

CWE-22 Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')

References

14 more references in the full CVE brief

FAQ

Common Questions.

Directory Traversal in the function http_verify in nostromo nhttpd through 1.9.6 allows an attacker to achieve remote code execution via a crafted HTTP request.
Affected: Nostromo Nhttpd (Nazgul). The full list is in the CVE brief.
It is exploited in the wild, listed in CISA KEV, Industry KEV feed, CIRCL KEV, ENISA EUVD since May 7, 2020.
Yes. It was added on Nov 7, 2024 with a federal remediation due date of Nov 28, 2024.
Public exploit code is available.
Fixed versions are available, including Nostromo Nhttpd 1.9.7.
Brandefense priority: patch immediately, because it is listed as exploited in the wild.

Is CVE-2019-16278 Running On Your Attack Surface?

Brandefense maps vulnerabilities like this one to your internet-facing assets and tells you exactly where to patch.