{"id":"CVE-2016-7255","url":"https://www.cyber-defence.io/tools/cve/CVE-2016-7255","generatedAt":"2026-10-28T20:06:02.611Z","title":"Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability","description":"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, Windows 10 Gold, 1511, and 1607, and Windows Server 2016 allow local users to gain privileges via a crafted application, aka \"Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability.\"","published":"2016-11-10T07:00:09.000Z","lastModified":"2026-09-10T04:17:32.000Z","status":"Analyzed","sourceIdentifier":"secure@microsoft.com","cvss":{"version":"3.1","score":7.8,"severity":"HIGH","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"},"cwe":[],"affected":["microsoft/windows 10 1507","microsoft/windows 10 1511","microsoft/windows 10 1607","microsoft/windows 7","microsoft/windows 8.1","microsoft/windows rt 8.1","microsoft/windows server 2008","microsoft/windows server 2012","microsoft/windows server 2016","microsoft/windows vista"],"epss":{"score":0.80968,"percentile":0.99628,"date":"2026-10-27","history":[]},"kev":{"listed":true,"dateAdded":"2021-11-03","dueDate":"2022-05-03","knownRansomwareCampaignUse":"Known","notes":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.\nhttps://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-7255"},"exploits":{"count":3,"verified":false,"firstPublished":"2016-11-09","source":"Exploit-DB (https://gitlab.com/exploit-database/exploitdb)","entries":[{"edbId":41015,"kind":"exploit","title":"Microsoft Windows Kernel - 'win32k.sys NtSetWindowLongPtr' Local Privilege Escalation (MS16-135) (2)","url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/41015","sourceUrl":"https://gitlab.com/exploit-database/exploitdb/-/blob/main/exploits/windows/local/41015.c","file":"exploits/windows/local/41015.c","published":"2017-01-08","added":"2017-01-11","updated":"2017-01-11","author":"Rick Larabee","type":"local","platform":"windows","port":null,"verified":false,"codes":["CVE-2016-7255","MS16-135"],"tags":null,"aliases":null,"applicationUrl":null,"screenshotUrl":null,"referenceUrl":"https://github.com/rlarabee/exploits/tree/8b9eb646516d7f022a010f28018209f331c28975"},{"edbId":40823,"kind":"exploit","title":"Microsoft Windows Kernel - 'win32k.sys NtSetWindowLongPtr' Local Privilege Escalation (MS16-135) (1)","url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40823","sourceUrl":"https://gitlab.com/exploit-database/exploitdb/-/blob/main/exploits/windows/local/40823.txt","file":"exploits/windows/local/40823.txt","published":"2016-11-24","added":"2016-11-24","updated":"2018-11-15","author":"IOactive","type":"local","platform":"windows","port":null,"verified":false,"codes":["CVE-2016-7255","MS16-135"],"tags":null,"aliases":null,"applicationUrl":null,"screenshotUrl":null,"referenceUrl":"https://github.com/IOActive/I-know-where-your-page-lives"},{"edbId":40745,"kind":"exploit","title":"Microsoft Windows Kernel - 'win32k' Denial of Service (MS16-135)","url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40745","sourceUrl":"https://gitlab.com/exploit-database/exploitdb/-/blob/main/exploits/windows/dos/40745.c","file":"exploits/windows/dos/40745.c","published":"2016-11-09","added":"2016-11-09","updated":"2016-11-09","author":"TinySec","type":"dos","platform":"windows","port":null,"verified":false,"codes":["CVE-2016-7255","MS16-135"],"tags":null,"aliases":null,"applicationUrl":null,"screenshotUrl":null,"referenceUrl":"https://github.com/tinysec/public/tree/master/CVE-2016-7255"}]},"verdict":{"level":"urgent","text":"Known to be exploited in the wild (CISA KEV, CISA remediation deadline 3 May 2022). Treat as an emergency change: patch or isolate now, then hunt for prior compromise."},"changes":[],"references":[{"url":"http://blog.trendmicro.com/trendlabs-security-intelligence/one-bit-rule-system-analyzing-cve-2016-7255-exploit-wild/","tags":["Broken Link"],"source":"secure@microsoft.com"},{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/140468/Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-win32k.sys-NtSetWindowLongPtr-Privilege-Escalation.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"secure@microsoft.com"},{"url":"http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/94064","tags":["Broken Link","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"secure@microsoft.com"},{"url":"http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1037251","tags":["Broken Link","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"secure@microsoft.com"},{"url":"https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-135","tags":["Patch","Vendor Advisory"],"source":"secure@microsoft.com"},{"url":"https://github.com/mwrlabs/CVE-2016-7255","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory"],"source":"secure@microsoft.com"},{"url":"https://securingtomorrow.mcafee.com/mcafee-labs/digging-windows-kernel-privilege-escalation-vulnerability-cve-2016-7255/","tags":["Broken Link"],"source":"secure@microsoft.com"},{"url":"https://security.googleblog.com/2016/10/disclosing-vulnerabilities-to-protect.html","tags":["Third Party Advisory"],"source":"secure@microsoft.com"},{"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40745/","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"secure@microsoft.com"},{"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40823/","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"secure@microsoft.com"},{"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/41015/","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"secure@microsoft.com"},{"url":"http://blog.trendmicro.com/trendlabs-security-intelligence/one-bit-rule-system-analyzing-cve-2016-7255-exploit-wild/","tags":["Broken Link"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/140468/Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-win32k.sys-NtSetWindowLongPtr-Privilege-Escalation.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/94064","tags":["Broken Link","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1037251","tags":["Broken Link","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-135","tags":["Patch","Vendor Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://github.com/mwrlabs/CVE-2016-7255","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://securingtomorrow.mcafee.com/mcafee-labs/digging-windows-kernel-privilege-escalation-vulnerability-cve-2016-7255/","tags":["Broken Link"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://security.googleblog.com/2016/10/disclosing-vulnerabilities-to-protect.html","tags":["Third Party Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40745/","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40823/","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/41015/","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2016-7255","tags":["US Government Resource"],"source":"134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0"}],"sources":{"nvd":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-7255","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."}