CVE-2016-3298 — Microsoft Internet Explorer Messaging API Information Disclosure Vulnerability

Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 through 11 and the Internet Messaging API in Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, and Windows 7 SP1 allow remote attackers to determine the existence of arbitrary files via a crafted web site, aka "Internet Explorer Information

01What is this vulnerability?

Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 through 11 and the Internet Messaging API in Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, and Windows 7 SP1 allow remote attackers to determine the existence of arbitrary files via a crafted web site, aka "Internet Explorer Information Disclosure Vulnerability."

02Affected products

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

03Active exploitation status

Yes — actively exploited. Added to the CISA KEV catalog on 2022-05-24. 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

No directly-cited follow-up CVEs in the KB record for this advisory. The references list in section 09 carries the vendor cross-references.

08Timeline

• Published: 2016-10-14T01:00:00.000Z
• Last modified: 2025-10-21T23:55:49.581Z
• Added to CISA KEV: 2022-05-24
• BOD 22-01 due: 2022-06-14

09References

• docs.microsoft.com — https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-11…
• docs.microsoft.com — https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-12…
• www.securityfocus.com — http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/93392
• www.securitytracker.com — http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1036992