VulnerabilityPublished 27 May 2025Updated 28 May 2025

CVE-2024-13966: ZKTeco BioTime · Use of Default Password

Affects ZKTeco BioTimeSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.3 High.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

7.3High

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 35% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

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

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: Low
Integrity: Low
Availability: Low

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: Low: There is some loss of confidentiality. Access to some restricted information is obtained, but the attacker does not have control over what information is obtained, or the amount or kind of loss is limited. The information disclosure does not cause a direct, serious loss to the impacted component.
Integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact on the impacted component.
Availability: Low: Performance is reduced or there are interruptions in resource availability. Even if repeated exploitation of the vulnerability is possible, the attacker does not have the ability to completely deny service to legitimate users. The resources in the impacted component are either partially available all of the time, or fully available only some of the time, but overall there is no direct, serious consequence to the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 27 May 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
ZKTeco BioTime	Affected *	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

To mitigate this vulnerability effectively, organizations should immediately enforce a policy requiring all BioTime users to change default passwords upon deployment, specifically updating the 'Self-Password' under the Attendance Settings tab. Network-level protections should be implemented, including restricting access to BioTime interfaces via firewalls or VPNs to trusted IP addresses only. Regular audits should be conducted to identify accounts still using default credentials. Additionally, integrating multi-factor authentication (MFA) where possible can add an extra layer of security. Monitoring and logging access to BioTime systems should be enhanced to detect unusual login attempts or enumeration activities. Vendors and administrators should also stay alert for official patches or updates from ZKTeco and apply them promptly once available. Finally, educating users about the risks of default passwords and enforcing strong password policies will reduce the likelihood of exploitation.

Description

ZKTeco BioTime allows unauthenticated attackers to enumerate usernames and log in as any user with a password unchanged from the default value '123456'. Users should change their passwords (located under the Attendance Settings tab as "Self-Password").

Impact

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a substantial risk, especially for those relying on ZKTeco BioTime for workforce management and attendance tracking. Unauthorized access could lead to exposure of personal employee information, manipulation of attendance data affecting payroll and compliance, and potential disruption of operational workflows. In sectors with strict data protection regulations such as GDPR, unauthorized data access could result in regulatory penalties and reputational damage. Additionally, compromised credentials could be leveraged as a foothold for lateral movement within corporate networks, increasing the risk of broader compromise. The vulnerability's network exposure and lack of authentication barriers make it particularly dangerous in environments where BioTime is accessible over corporate or public networks without adequate segmentation or access controls.

CWE-1393Use of Default Password (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessOWASP Top 10 A07:2025: Authentication Failures (opens in a new tab)
The product uses default passwords for potentially critical functionality.
Requirements
Prohibit use of default, hard-coded, or other values that do not vary for each installation of the product - especially for separate organizations.
Documentation
Ensure that product documentation clearly emphasizes the presence of default passwords and provides steps for the administrator to change them.
Architecture and Design
Force the administrator to change the credential upon installation.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
OWASP Authentication (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V2.8.5 (opens in a new tab)
V2.8.4 (opens in a new tab)
V9.2.3 (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 6 Jul 2025, 01:12 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-1393

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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