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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 3 May 2022. Known ransomware use
Windows 10 1507Operating system · Microsoft

CVE-2016-0167

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 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 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 RT 8.1, and Windows 10 Gold and 1511 allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted application, aka "Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability," a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-0143 and CVE-2016-0165.

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

A flaw in the Win32k.sys kernel-mode driver allows a local authenticated user to elevate privileges to kernel level by running a specially crafted application. The vulnerability exists in multiple Windows versions from Vista/Server 2008 through Windows 10.

MitigationApply Microsoft security update MS16-039 (or subsequent cumulative updates) to patch the Win32k.sys driver. Restrict local user permissions and follow least-privilege principles to limit exposure until patching is complete.

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 7Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows 8.1Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows Rt 8.1Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows Server 2008Operating system
Affected:all versions= r2
Windows Server 2012Operating system
Affected:all versions= r2
Windows VistaOperating system
Affected:all versions

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 the Windows version
    Run 'winver' or 'systeminfo' from command prompt to determine the exact Windows version and build number
    Affected if The version matches any of these affected ranges: Windows 10 1507, Windows 10 1511, Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows Rt 8.1, Windows Server 2008 (including R2), Windows Server 2012 (including R2), or Windows Vista (all versions)
  2. Verify Win32k.sys file version
    Locate the file at C:\Windows\System32\win32k.sys, right-click and select Properties, then check the Details tab for the File Version
    Affected if The file version corresponds to an unpatched build of the affected Windows versions listed above (compare to known patched versions for the same Windows build)
  3. Confirm patch MS16-039 installation status
    Open Control Panel > Programs and Features > View installed updates, or run 'wmic qfe list' command, and search for update KB3147458 (the patch for this CVE)
    Affected if The security update KB3147458 is NOT listed among installed updates, indicating the system remains vulnerable

The system is affected if it runs any of the vulnerable Windows versions listed AND the win32k.sys driver is not updated to the patched version AND security update MS16-039 (KB3147458) is not installed.

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 MS16-039 (or subsequent cumulative updates) to patch the Win32k.sys driver. Restrict local user permissions and follow least-privilege principles to limit exposure until patching is complete.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Install the Microsoft security update for CVE-2016-0167 (refer to Microsoft Security Bulletin MS16-056)

  1. Open Windows Update by clicking the Start button and selecting Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update
  2. Click 'Check for updates' to scan for available updates
  3. Install all recommended security updates, particularly any labeled as a cumulative security update for Windows or a specific update addressing Win32k vulnerabilities
  4. If prompted to restart, restart the computer to complete the installation
  5. Verify the update was installed by viewing the update history in Windows Update settings
Caveat Ensure compatibility with existing applications before deployment; test the update in a non-production environment first

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
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
Get it fixed fast

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,120.

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-2016-0167 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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