{"id":"CVE-2016-7226","url":"https://www.cyber-defence.io/tools/cve/CVE-2016-7226","generatedAt":"2026-10-28T20:58:00.732Z","title":"Virtual Hard Disk Driver in Windows 10 Gold, 1511, and 1607 and Windows Server 2016 does not properly restrict access to files, which allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted application, aka \"VHD Driver Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability.\"","description":"Virtual Hard Disk Driver in Windows 10 Gold, 1511, and 1607 and Windows Server 2016 does not properly restrict access to files, which allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted application, aka \"VHD Driver Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability.\"","published":"2016-11-10T06:59:39.000Z","lastModified":"2026-06-17T00:52:49.000Z","status":"Modified","sourceIdentifier":"secure@microsoft.com","cvss":{"version":"3.0","score":6.1,"severity":"MEDIUM","vector":"CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:N"},"cwe":["CWE-284"],"affected":["microsoft/windows 10","microsoft/windows server 2016"],"epss":{"score":0.04105,"percentile":0.90705,"date":"2026-10-27","history":[{"date":"2026-09-21","score":0.05175,"percentile":0.92107},{"date":"2026-09-22","score":0.04105,"percentile":0.90308}]},"kev":{"listed":false},"exploits":{"count":1,"verified":true,"firstPublished":"2016-11-15","source":"Exploit-DB (https://gitlab.com/exploit-database/exploitdb)","entries":[{"edbId":40763,"kind":"exploit","title":"Microsoft Windows - VHDMP Arbitrary File Creation Privilege Escalation (MS16-138)","url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40763","sourceUrl":"https://gitlab.com/exploit-database/exploitdb/-/blob/main/exploits/windows/local/40763.cs","file":"exploits/windows/local/40763.cs","published":"2016-11-15","added":"2016-11-15","updated":"2016-11-15","author":"Google Security Research","type":"local","platform":"windows","port":null,"verified":true,"codes":["CVE-2016-7226","MS16-138"],"tags":null,"aliases":null,"applicationUrl":null,"screenshotUrl":null,"referenceUrl":"https://bugs.chromium.org/p/project-zero/issues/detail?id=914"}]},"verdict":{"level":"high","text":"A public exploit is published in Exploit-DB (verified), so the technical barrier is gone even though the severity is medium and EPSS is 4.1%. Treat it as high on anything reachable from the internet."},"changes":[],"references":[{"url":"http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/94018","source":"secure@microsoft.com"},{"url":"http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1037248","source":"secure@microsoft.com"},{"url":"https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-138","source":"secure@microsoft.com"},{"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40763/","source":"secure@microsoft.com"},{"url":"http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/94018","source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1037248","source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-138","source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40763/","source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"}],"sources":{"nvd":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-7226","epss":"https://www.first.org/epss/","kev":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog","exploitdb":"https://www.exploit-db.com/"},"licence":"CC BY 4.0 — link back to the CVE Explorer if you publish the results; upstream data remains subject to its own terms."}