VulnerabilityAnalyzed

CVE-2016-0099

Microsoft Windows Secondary Logon Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

KEVEXPLOIT ×4 ✓HIGH 7.8EPSS 37.0%

Does this matter?

Known to be exploited in the wild (CISA KEV, CISA remediation deadline 24 March 2022). Treat as an emergency change: patch or isolate now, then hunt for prior compromise.

Description

The Secondary Logon Service 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 does not properly process request handles, which allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted application, aka "Secondary Logon Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability."

CVSS 3.1: 7.8 HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS: 37.05% probability · 99th percentile
Public exploits: 4 in Exploit-DB · verified · first 21 March 2016
CISA KEV: Listed 3 March 2022 · due 24 March 2022 · used in ransomware campaigns
Weakness: CWE-120
Affected: microsoft/windows 10 1507 · microsoft/windows 10 1511 · microsoft/windows 7 · microsoft/windows 8.1 · microsoft/windows server 2008 · microsoft/windows server 2012 · microsoft/windows vista
Source: secure@microsoft.com

EPSS trend

EPSS 37.0% since 30 October 2026; no change recorded yet. The dashed line is the ten per cent mark our analysts treat as “patch before the next change window”. Points are recorded when the score first appears and whenever it moves by a percentage point or more.

CISA notes

Apply updates per vendor instructions. https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-0099

Public exploits (4)

Entries in Exploit-DB that cite this CVE. Links go to the Exploit-DB page and to the file in the public repository; nothing is hosted here. A verified tick means the Exploit-DB team confirmed the exploit works against the stated version.

EDB-ID	Title	Type	Published	Verified
EDB-40107 source ↗	Microsoft Windows 7 < 10 / 2008 < 2012 (x86/x64) - Secondary Logon Handle Privilege Escalation (MS16-032) (Metasploit)windows · Metasploit	local	13 July 2016	yes
EDB-39809 source ↗	Microsoft Windows 7 < 10 / 2008 < 2012 (x86/x64) - Local Privilege Escalation (MS16-032)windows · fdiskyou	local	25 April 2016	yes
EDB-39719 source ↗	Microsoft Windows 7 < 10 / 2008 < 2012 R2 (x86/x64) - Local Privilege Escalation (MS16-032) (PowerShell)windows · b33f	local	21 April 2016	yes
EDB-39574 source ↗	Microsoft Windows 8.1/10 (x86) - Secondary Logon Standard Handles Missing Sanitization Privilege Escalation (MS16-032)windows_x86 · Google Security Research	local	21 March 2016	yes

References

http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/84034Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1035210Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-032Patch, Vendor Advisory
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/39574/Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/39719/Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/39809/Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40107/Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/84034Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1035210Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-032Patch, Vendor Advisory
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/39574/Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/39719/Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/39809/Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40107/Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2016-0099US Government Resource

Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.