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Windows 10Operating system · Microsoft

CVE-2016-3252

HIGH · 7.3 CVSS v3.0 Published 2016-07-13
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
73/100
Remediation priority · Elevated

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 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, and Windows 10 Gold and 1511 allow local users to gain privileges via a crafted application, aka "Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability," a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-3249, CVE-2016-3254, and CVE-2016-3286.

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 · moderate confidence

A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Win32k kernel-mode drivers of multiple Windows versions (Vista SP2 through Windows 10 1511). The flaw allows a local attacker to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges by running a specially crafted application, bypassing existing privilege boundaries in the Windows kernel.

MitigationApply the relevant Microsoft security update (MS16-077 or subsequent cumulative security update) to all affected Windows systems. For systems where patching is not immediately possible, restrict local user permissions and monitor for suspicious executable activity.

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 10Operating system
Affected:all versions= 1511
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
Low
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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 | findstr /B /C:"OS Name" /C:"OS Version"' to determine the installed Windows version
    Affected if The version is Windows Vista SP2, Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows Rt 8.1, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2, or Windows 10 (versions prior to patched cumulative update)
  2. Locate win32k.sys
    The vulnerable component is win32k.sys. Find its path by running 'dir /s C:\Windows\System32\win32k.sys' or 'Get-ItemProperty -Path C:\Windows\System32\win32k.sys'
    Affected if The file exists on the system (present in all affected Windows versions)
  3. Check win32k.sys version
    Right-click win32k.sys, select Properties, then Details to view the File Version. Alternatively, run 'powershell (Get-Item C:\Windows\System32\win32k.sys).VersionInfo.FileVersion'
    Affected if The version is older than the version provided by MS16-077 or subsequent cumulative security updates for your specific Windows version
  4. Verify MS16-077 patch installation
    Open Control Panel > Programs and Features > View installed updates, or run 'wmic qfe list' to list installed hotfixes. Search for security update KB3164035 (MS16-077) or later security updates
    Affected if The MS16-077 security update (KB3164035) or a subsequent cumulative security update is NOT installed

A system is affected if it runs a Windows version from Vista SP2 through Windows 10 1511 and lacks the MS16-077 security update or later cumulative update that patches the win32k.sys privilege escalation vulnerability.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the relevant Microsoft security update (MS16-077 or subsequent cumulative security update) to all affected Windows systems. For systems where patching is not immediately possible, restrict local user permissions and monitor for suspicious executable activity.

Fix this in Windows 10 Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,750
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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-2016-3252 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