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Fencer Intel
high 7.8

CVE-2016-7255 kev+ ransomware in the critical feed json

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…

published 2016-11-10 9 y ago modified 2026-09-10 1 mo ago also EUVD-2016-8111

cvss
7.8
version 3.1, CNA
cisa kev
Exploited
added 2021-11-03, used in ransomware
epss
81.0%
EPSS 81.0% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 99.6%
public exploits
3
Exploit-DB

Summary

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."

Patch / fix

cisa required action Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Timeline

  1. Found exploited as a 0-day (Project Zero)
  2. 0-day patched (Project Zero)
  3. First public exploit (EDB-40745)
  4. Published
  5. CISA SSVC: exploitation active
  6. Added to CISA KEV
  7. CISA patch deadline

Known exploited

Added
5 y ago
Patch by
2022-05-03 (4 y ago)
Ransomware
Known to be used in ransomware campaigns
Required action
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Vendor, product
Microsoft, Win32k
CISA name
Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

Zero-day

Detected in real attacks while still unknown to the vendor and the public, per Google Project Zero's 0day In-the-Wild tracker.

Found
2016-10-21
Patched
2016-11-08
Details
project zero tracker

CISA SSVC

Exploitation
Active, exploited in the wild
Automatable
no
Technical impact
total
Assessed
5 y ago

Exploit prediction

80.97% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 99.6% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-09).

Exploits and checks

  • EDB-41015 Microsoft Windows Kernel - 'win32k.sys NtSetWindowLongPtr' Local Privilege Escalation (MS16-135) (2) local, 2017-01-08
  • EDB-40823 Microsoft Windows Kernel - 'win32k.sys NtSetWindowLongPtr' Local Privilege Escalation (MS16-135) (1) local, 2016-11-24
  • EDB-40745 Microsoft Windows Kernel - 'win32k' Denial of Service (MS16-135) dos, 2016-11-09
  • packetstormsecurity.com http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/140468/Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-win32k.sys-NtSetWindowLongPtr-Privilege-Escalation.html referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified
  • github.com https://github.com/mwrlabs/CVE-2016-7255 referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified

CVSS scores

assigned by version score vector
CISA ADP 3.1 7.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
NVD 3.1 7.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA 3.1 7.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
NVD 2.0 7.2 AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

References

Sources

Fencer Intel keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.