CVE-2016-0167KEV · OVERDUE

Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

High · published April 12, 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 92.9th percentile for exploit probability.

1633
days past CISA
deadline
CVSS v3.1
7.8
EPSS
6%
Percentile
92.9
In the wild
Confirmed
What it is

🚨 Local users can gain elevated privileges just by running a crafted application! This means they could access sensitive parts of your system without breaking a sweat. 🔥 Think of it like a hotel where anyone with a room key can suddenly upgrade to the penthouse suite without any extra security checks — it’s a recipe for disaster! This vulnerability could allow an attacker to bypass security restrictions, giving them full reign over the system — they could install malware, steal sensitive data, or even delete critical files. This is absolutely devastating for any organization, as it poses significant risks to data integrity and security.

Put simply

Think of it like a hotel where anyone with a room key can suddenly upgrade to the penthouse suite without any extra security checks — it’s a recipe for disaster! The Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability resides in a kernel-mode driver that fails to properly validate user input, allowing local users to execute malicious code with elevated privileges.

What to do

This vulnerability could allow an attacker to bypass security restrictions, giving them full reign over the system — they could install malware, steal sensitive data, or even delete critical files. This is absolutely devastating for any organization, as it poses significant risks to data integrity and security. To safeguard your systems, ensure you patch to the latest versions of Windows that address this vulnerability. Regularly audit your applications and user permissions to prevent unauthorized access. Don't forget to educate your users about the risks of running untrusted applications! You’ve got this! Following these steps, you can fortify your defenses and keep your systems secure. 🛡️

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
0.05683 · 92.9th percentile
Published
2016-04-12T23:00Z
KEV added
2021-11-03 · due 2022-05-03
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 03 NOV 00:00Z
    Added to CISA KEV — remediate by May 3
    kev
  • 12 APR 23:00Z
    The kernel-mode driver in Microsoft Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, Windows…
    cvelistv5