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Actively exploited in the wild. This CVE is on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list — treat remediation as urgent. Federal remediation due by 18 Apr 2022. Known ransomware use
Windows 10 1507Operating system · Microsoft

CVE-2016-0151

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2016-04-12
Patch available
A vendor patch is available. No clean upgrade release — apply the published patch.
See remediation →
97/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
In the wild Ransomware High EPSS Public exploit No privileges Patch available

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 · unedited
The Client-Server Run-time Subsystem (CSRSS) in Microsoft Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows 10 Gold and 1511 mismanages process tokens, which allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted application, aka "Windows CSRSS Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability."

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 confidence

The Client-Server Run-time Subsystem (CSRSS) in affected Windows versions mishandles process token management, allowing a local authenticated user to exploit the flaw via a crafted application to elevate privileges to higher integrity levels. This is a security feature bypass in a core Windows subsystem.

MitigationApply Microsoft security update MS16-034 (or subsequent relevant updates) to patch the CSRSS token handling vulnerability. For systems unable to receive updates, implement strict least-privilege access controls and limit local user permissions to reduce exploitation risk.

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 data
Windows 10 1507Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows 10 1511Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows 8.1Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows Rt 8.1Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows Server 2012Operating system
Affected:all versions= r2

CVSS 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:3.1/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify Windows version
    Run 'winver' or 'systeminfo' from command prompt and note the exact Windows version and build number
    Affected if The version displayed is Windows 10 1507, Windows 10 1511, Windows 8.1, Windows Rt 8.1, Windows Server 2012, or Windows Server 2012 R2
  2. Confirm version is fully patched
    Check if the installed Windows version has received subsequent updates beyond the original release versions for that branch (for Windows 10, check the build number; for 8.1/Server 2012 R2, verify all post-March 2016 updates are applied)
    Affected if The system is still on the initial release build of Windows 10 1507 (build 10240) or Windows 10 1511 (build 10586) without any cumulative updates installed
  3. Verify security update presence
    Open Control Panel > Programs and Features > View installed updates, or run 'wmic qfe list' command, and search for the MS16-034 security update
    Affected if The MS16-034 security update (delivered via March 2016 monthly rollup or standalone package) is NOT listed among installed updates
  4. Check CSRSS module version
    Locate csrssp.dll (typically in C:\Windows\System32\) and view its Properties > Details to see File Version; compare against the version that shipped with the MS16-034 patch for your specific Windows version
    Affected if The csrssp.dll file version matches the pre-patch version for your Windows release and has not been updated to the fixed version

A system is affected if it runs any of the listed Windows versions AND the MS16-034 security update has not been installed, leaving the CSRSS process token handling vulnerability unpatched.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Patch available Apply the vendor patch
Vendor patch docs.microsoft.com →
Interim mitigation

Apply Microsoft security update MS16-034 (or subsequent relevant updates) to patch the CSRSS token handling vulnerability. For systems unable to receive updates, implement strict least-privilege access controls and limit local user permissions to reduce exploitation risk.

Recommended fix High confidence

Apply Microsoft Security Bulletin MS16-034 or subsequent cumulative/security updates that include the fix for CVE-2016-0151

  1. Apply the Microsoft Security Update that addresses CVE-2016-0151 (MS16-034) through Windows Update or download from the Microsoft Update Catalog
  2. For Windows 10 versions 1507 and 1511, install the relevant cumulative security update
  3. For Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1, install the security update from KB3140745 or subsequent cumulative updates
  4. For Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2, install the security update from KB3140743 or subsequent cumulative updates
  5. After applying the update, restart the affected systems to complete the remediation
  6. Verify the update is installed by checking Windows Update history or using the Get-Hotfix PowerShell cmdlet
Caveat Standard patching risks apply - test in non-production environment before deploying broadly, as with any system update

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Windows 10 1507 Exploited in the wild — priority engagement
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,500
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An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,600.

Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2016-0151 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • 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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data