CVE-2016-0091
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedOLE 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, and Windows 10 Gold and 1511 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted file, aka "Windows OLE Memory Remote Code Execution Vulnerability," a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-0092.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThis is a memory corruption vulnerability in the Windows OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) component that allows remote code execution when a user opens a specially crafted malicious file. The vulnerability affects multiple Windows versions from Vista through Windows 10 1511, and is caused by improper memory handling within the OLE automation subsystem.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE dataall versions= 1511all versionsall versionsall versionsall versions= r2all versions= r2all versionsCVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify your Windows versionRun 'winver' from the Start menu search or execute 'systeminfo' in Command Prompt and look at the OS Name and Version lineAffected if The version listed is Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows Rt 8.1, Windows 10 (any build), Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, or Windows Server 2012 R2
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Verify patch MS16-015 is installedOpen Control Panel > Programs and Features > View installed updates, or run 'wmic qfe list' in Command Prompt, and search for KB3140700 or subsequent OLE-related security updatesAffected if The specific OLE security update from MS16-015 (KB3140700) or a later related patch is NOT listed among installed updates
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Confirm OLE component availabilityCheck that the OLE automation subsystem is present by verifying the existence of oleaut32.dll in C:\Windows\System32 (or use 'reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\ole2"' to query OLE registry keys)Affected if The OLE component oleaut32.dll exists on the system (this is true for all affected Windows versions listed, making them potentially vulnerable if unpatched)
Your environment is affected if you are running any of the listed Windows versions (Vista through Windows 10 1511, or the listed Server versions) AND the MS16-015 security update (KB3140700) or a subsequent OLE patch has not been installed.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataApply Microsoft security update MS16-015 or subsequent relevant patches to address the OLE memory corruption. Users should exercise caution when opening files from untrusted sources and organizations should ensure timely patch deployment.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-0091 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2016-0091 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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