CVE-2016-0165 — Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

The kernel-mode driver 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 allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted application, aka "Win32k E

01What is this vulnerability?

The kernel-mode driver 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 allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted application, aka "Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability," a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-0143 and CVE-2016-0167.

02Affected products

Vendor	Product	Versions
n	a / n/a	n/a

03Active exploitation status

Yes — actively exploited. Added to the CISA KEV catalog on 2023-06-22. Ransomware use: Unknown.

04Recommended remediation

• Patch to a fixed version listed in the vendor advisory (see references below).
• Mitigate with WAF rules, network egress filters, or feature flags where the patch is not yet available.
• Hunt historical logs for exploitation indicators — see Detection signatures below.

05Technical details

For the full vendor write-up, exploit chains, and reference implementations, see the references list in section 09.

06Detection signatures

Open the Sigma generator with a pre-filled prompt for this CVE to draft a starting detection in your stack of choice:

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07Related CVEs

08Timeline

• Published: 2016-04-12T23:00:00.000Z
• Last modified: 2025-10-21T23:55:53.587Z
• Added to CISA KEV: 2023-06-22
• BOD 22-01 due: 2023-07-13

09References

• www.securitytracker.com — http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1035529
• www.exploit-db.com — https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/44480/
• www.securitytracker.com — http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1035532
• docs.microsoft.com — https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-03…