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CVE-2016-7255

The kernel-mode drivers in Microsoft Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows Server…

High7.8Known exploitedEPSS 81.0%
Published
Updated
Reserved
Assigned by
microsoft

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."

Exploited in the wild

CISA lists this vulnerability in its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog as Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability.

Added
3 Nov 2021
Fix due (US federal)
3 May 2022
Used by ransomware
Known

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Scores

CVSS scores of CVE-2016-7255, by who scored it
Scored byCVSSScoreVector
CISA-ADPADP (enrichment)3.1High7.8CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
NVDNVD · Analyzed3.1High7.8CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
81.0% · top 0.4% of all CVEs (2 Nov 2026)
CISA SSVC
Exploitation: active · Automatable: no · Technical impact: total

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The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: High 7.8.

Weakness

  • n/a
  • CWE-noinfo Not enough information

Affected products

  • n/a

    • affected n/a

References (12)

Sources

The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.

Record last updated .