CVE-2016-3352
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 · uneditedMicrosoft Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows 10 Gold, 1511, and 1607 do not properly check NTLM SSO requests for MSA logins, which makes it easier for remote attackers to determine passwords via a brute-force attack on NTLM password hashes, aka "Microsoft Information Disclosure 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 confidenceThis vulnerability in Windows 8.1, RT 8.1, and Windows 10 versions allows remote attackers to bypass proper validation of NTLM SSO requests for Microsoft Account (MSA) logins. The insufficient checking enables brute-force attacks against NTLM password hashes, potentially exposing user credentials.
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= 1511= 1607all versionsall 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
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/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.
-
Identify Windows versionRun 'winver' from the command prompt or check System Properties (right-click This PC > Properties) to determine the exact Windows versionAffected if The system is running Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, or any version of Windows 10 (including 1511 and 1607)
-
Verify NTLM authentication is in useOpen Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) and navigate to Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > Security Options > 'Network security: LAN Manager authentication level'. Check the current setting.Affected if The authentication level is set to allow NTLM responses (options like 'Send LM & NTLM responses' or 'Send LM & NTLM - use NTLMv2 session security if negotiated') rather than restricting to NTLMv2 only or rejecting NTLM entirely
-
Confirm Microsoft Account login is enabledOpen Settings > Accounts > Your email and accounts, or run 'netplwiz', to verify if a Microsoft Account (MSA) is linked to user login on this systemAffected if A Microsoft Account is configured for Windows sign-in on this machine
The environment is affected if the system runs Windows 8.1, RT 8.1, or Windows 10, has NTLM authentication enabled, and has a Microsoft Account configured for login.
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 updates for CVE-2016-3352 to affected Windows versions. Additionally, consider implementing account lockout policies and NTLM session restrictions to limit brute-force attack viability.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 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 $5,120.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-3352 — 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-2016-3352 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
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.
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