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."
Published Nov 10, 2016 ·Due May 3, 2022
7.8
HIGHCVSS 3.1
EPSS 80.97%
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."
Affected products
No data.
- n/a
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- r2
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- r2
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No data.
No Red Hat product state for this CVE.
No package ranges for this CVE.
Remediation
No remediation recorded yet.
Metrics
No CVSS v4.0 score for this CVE.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
No CVSS v3.0 score for this CVE.
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Date Added
Nov 3, 2021
Patch Due
May 3, 2022
Required Action
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
CISA SSVC (Vulnrichment)
Stakeholder-Specific Vulnerability Categorization from CISA ADP.
Exploitation
ActiveAutomatable
NoTechnical Impact
TotalDecision
n/aAssessed Feb 10, 2025 · SSVC 2.0.3
Estimated probability of exploitation in the wild in the next 30 days (FIRST EPSS). As of Oct 1, 2026.
Score over time
2022–2026- EPSS v2
- EPSS v3
- EPSS v4
- EPSS v5
Percentile over time
- EPSS v2
- EPSS v3
- EPSS v4
- EPSS v5
Table of values (22 key points)
Flat stretches are collapsed; showing up to 120 newest points.
| Date | Score | Percentile | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | 80.97% (0.80968) | 99.62th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Jun 15, 2026 | 80.97% (0.80968) | 99.58th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Mar 17, 2025 | 89.36% (0.89359) | 99.53th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Dec 17, 2024 | 5.38% (0.05382) | 93.02th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Dec 10, 2024 | 3.73% (0.03733) | 92.13th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Jul 26, 2024 | 2.69% (0.02689) | 90.57th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| May 25, 2024 | 0.71% (0.00711) | 80.43th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Feb 11, 2024 | 0.64% (0.00636) | 78.48th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Jan 3, 2024 | 0.63% (0.00631) | 76.77th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Nov 23, 2023 | 1.15% (0.01153) | 83.23th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Oct 14, 2023 | 0.96% (0.00956) | 81.50th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Oct 10, 2023 | 0.85% (0.00852) | 80.29th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Oct 9, 2023 | 1.10% (0.01104) | 82.81th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Sep 1, 2023 | 0.85% (0.00852) | 80.10th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Jul 24, 2023 | 0.95% (0.00947) | 81.08th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Jun 14, 2023 | 1.18% (0.01175) | 83.01th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| May 7, 2023 | 1.14% (0.01137) | 82.62th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 28, 2023 | 0.42% (0.00422) | 70.26th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 7, 2023 | 0.29% (0.00286) | 63.83th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 6, 2023 | 1.96% (0.01961) | 78.50th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Apr 1, 2022 | 1.96% (0.01961) | 76.61th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Feb 4, 2022 | 1.96% (0.01961) | 55.74th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
No CWE recorded.
References (12)
- http://blog.trendmicro.com/trendlabs-security-intelligence/one-bit-rule-system-analyzing-cve-2016-7255-exploit-wild/ x_refsource_MISCBroken Link
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/140468/Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-win32k.sys-NtSetWindowLongPtr-Privilege-Escalation.html x_refsource_MISCExploitThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/94064 vdb-entryx_refsource_BIDBroken LinkThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1037251 vdb-entryx_refsource_SECTRACKBroken LinkThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-135 vendor-advisoryx_refsource_MSPatchVendor Advisory
- https://github.com/mwrlabs/CVE-2016-7255 x_refsource_MISCExploitThird Party Advisory
- https://securingtomorrow.mcafee.com/mcafee-labs/digging-windows-kernel-privilege-escalation-vulnerability-cve-2016-7255/ x_refsource_MISCBroken Link
- https://security.googleblog.com/2016/10/disclosing-vulnerabilities-to-protect.html x_refsource_MISCThird Party Advisory
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2016-7255 government-resourceUS Government Resource
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40745/ exploitx_refsource_EXPLOIT-DBThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40823/ exploitx_refsource_EXPLOIT-DBThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/41015/ exploitx_refsource_EXPLOIT-DBThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
Change history (0)
No recorded changes yet.