CVE-2016-0040KEV · OVERDUE

Microsoft Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

High · published February 10, 2016

Patch now

Confirmed exploited, and the score agrees

CVSS calls it high at 7.8. It is confirmed in active exploitation. It sits in the 97.9th percentile for exploit probability.

1648
days past CISA
deadline
CVSS v3.1
7.8
EPSS
24%
Percentile
97.9
In the wild
Confirmed
What it is

🚨 A crafty application can grant local users the power of the admin! This Windows vulnerability is like giving someone a VIP backstage pass at a concert without checking if they should even be in the venue! 🔥 Think of it as someone sneaking into a restricted area at an amusement park where all the good rides are. Once inside, they can mess with the attractions however they like! An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges, allowing them to install programs, view sensitive data, or even create new user accounts. This could lead to complete takeovers of systems, putting all your data at risk!

Put simply

Think of it as someone sneaking into a restricted area at an amusement park where all the good rides are. Once inside, they can mess with the attractions however they like! This elevation of privilege vulnerability arises in the Windows kernel, where a local user can execute a specially crafted application to gain higher privileges than intended, bypassing security restrictions.

What to do

An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges, allowing them to install programs, view sensitive data, or even create new user accounts. This could lead to complete takeovers of systems, putting all your data at risk! To protect your systems, make sure to apply the specific patch provided by Microsoft for affected versions: Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, and Windows 7 SP1. Regularly update your systems and consider using antivirus and security monitoring solutions. 🛡️ You've got this! By following these steps, you can keep your systems safe from this sneaky vulnerability! 💪😄

The record
Technical detail
CVSS v3.1
7.8 · HIGH
Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS v4.0
Not supplied
EPSS
0.24283 · 97.9th percentile
Published
2016-02-10T11:00Z
KEV added
2022-03-28 · due 2022-04-18
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 28 MAR 00:00Z
    Added to CISA KEV — remediate by Apr 18
    kev
  • 10 FEB 11:00Z
    The kernel in Microsoft Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, and Windows 7 SP1 allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted…
    cvelistv5