CVE-2016-0179
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 · uneditedWindows Shell in Microsoft Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows 10 Gold and 1511 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted web site, aka "Windows Shell Remote Code Execution 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 confidenceA remote code execution vulnerability exists in Windows Shell on Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows 10 (Gold and 1511). Attackers can exploit this by tricking users into visiting a crafted website, allowing arbitrary code execution with the user's privileges.
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 versions= r2CVSS 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 command prompt or check System Properties to see if the OS is Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Windows RT 8.1, or Windows Server 2012 R2Affected if The system is running any version of Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, Windows 10, or Windows Server 2012 R2 - these are the affected products
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Confirm Windows 10 specific build if applicableIn winver, note the build number displayed (e.g., 10240, 10586 for version 1511)Affected if Running any Windows 10 build - all versions are affected
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Verify MS16-060 security update is installedRun 'Get-HotFix -ID KB3153171' in PowerShell or check 'wmic qfe get HotFixID,InstalledOn' to see if KB3153171 is presentAffected if The security update KB3153171 is NOT installed - this means the vulnerability remains unpatched
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Check Windows Update history for recent patchesOpen Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View update history, or run 'systeminfo' and look at the 'Hotfix(s)' sectionAffected if No security updates related to MS16-060 (May 2016 patch) or later cumulative updates are shown in the update history
You are affected if your system runs Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Windows RT 8.1, or Windows Server 2012 R2 AND the KB3153171 (MS16-060) update is not 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 the Microsoft security update (MS16-060) or subsequent cumulative updates that address this vulnerability. Ensure Windows Update is enabled and systems are patched promptly.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,984.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-0179 — 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-2016-0179 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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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.
- 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