CVE-2016-7212
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 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, Windows 10 Gold, 1511, and 1607, and Windows Server 2016 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted image file, aka "Windows 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 · moderate confidenceThis is a Windows remote code execution vulnerability that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code by tricking users into opening a specially crafted image file. The vulnerability affects multiple Windows versions from Vista SP2 through Windows Server 2016, indicating a flaw in how Windows processes image file formats.
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 versionsall versionsall versions= r2all versions= r2all 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
- 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 Windows versionRun 'winver' from the Run dialog or use 'systeminfo' in Command Prompt to determine the exact Windows version and build numberAffected if The system runs Windows Vista, 7, 8.1, 10 (versions 1511, 1607), Windows RT 8.1, or Windows Server 2008/2012/2012 R2/2016 (all versions)
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Verify security update MS16-130 installationOpen Control Panel > Programs and Features > View installed updates, or run 'wmic qfe list' in Command Prompt, and search for update KB3200970 or KB3197873 (the patches for MS16-130)Affected if The MS16-130 security update (KB3200970 or KB3197873) is NOT installed on the system
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Confirm image handling component is presentVerify that the Windows Graphics component (gdi32.dll, gdiplus.dll) exists in the System32 folder - this component processes image filesAffected if The system has graphics processing capabilities enabled, which is default on all affected Windows versions
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Check for user-initiated image file handlingReview system logs and recent user activity for attempts to open image files from untrusted sources, or use PowerShell to list recent image file access eventsAffected if Users on the system have the ability to open or preview image files (default behavior on unpatched systems)
A system is affected if it runs any affected Windows version listed in the CVE and lacks the MS16-130 security update (KB3200970 or KB3197873), making it vulnerable to remote code execution through specially crafted image files.
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 (MS16-130) to all affected Windows systems. Restrict access to untrusted image files and educate users about not opening unexpected image attachments from untrusted sources.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation16.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $10,240.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-7212 — 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-2016-7212 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