CVE-2016-7255
The kernel-mode drivers in Microsoft Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows Server…
- Published
- Updated
- Reserved
- Assigned by
- microsoft
Description
The kernel-mode drivers 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 RT 8.1, Windows 10 Gold, 1511, and 1607, and Windows Server 2016 allow local users to gain privileges via a crafted application, aka "Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability."
Exploited in the wild
CISA lists this vulnerability in its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog as Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability.
- Added
- 3 Nov 2021
- Fix due (US federal)
- 3 May 2022
- Used by ransomware
- Known
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Public exploit
3 references of the record are tagged as an exploit or proof of concept: anyone can try it against an unpatched system. CISA's SSVC rates its exploitation: it is being exploited.
- 40823 (opens in a new tab)exploitx_refsource_EXPLOIT-DBx_transferred
- 41015 (opens in a new tab)exploitx_refsource_EXPLOIT-DBx_transferred
- 40745 (opens in a new tab)exploitx_refsource_EXPLOIT-DBx_transferred
Timeline
ID reserved
By microsoft
- 2 months later
· 2 months later
Published
- 5 years later
· 5 years later
Added to CISA KEV
Known exploited, also by ransomware
- 5 years later
· 5 years later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| CISA-ADPADP (enrichment) | 3.1 | High7.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| NVDNVD · Analyzed | 3.1 | High7.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 81.0% · top 0.4% of all CVEs (8 Nov 2026)
- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation: active · Automatable: no · Technical impact: total
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: High 7.8.
Weakness
- n/a
- CWE-noinfo Not enough information
Affected products
n/a
- affected n/a
References (12)
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/140468/Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-win32k.sys-NtSetWindowLongPtr-Privilege-Escalation.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- https://github.com/mwrlabs/CVE-2016-7255 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- 40823 (opens in a new tab)exploitx_refsource_EXPLOIT-DBx_transferred
- 41015 (opens in a new tab)exploitx_refsource_EXPLOIT-DBx_transferred
- https://securingtomorrow.mcafee.com/mcafee-labs/digging-windows-kernel-privilege-escalation-vulnerability-cve-2016-7255/ (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- 40745 (opens in a new tab)exploitx_refsource_EXPLOIT-DBx_transferred
- 1037251 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_SECTRACKx_transferred
- MS16-135 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_MSx_transferred
- http://blog.trendmicro.com/trendlabs-security-intelligence/one-bit-rule-system-analyzing-cve-2016-7255-exploit-wild/ (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- 94064 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_BIDx_transferred
- https://security.googleblog.com/2016/10/disclosing-vulnerabilities-to-protect.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2016-7255 (opens in a new tab)government-resource
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- CISA KEV catalog (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2016-7255)Record last updated .