CVE-2016-7255 — Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

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 app

01What is this vulnerability?

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."

02Affected products

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

03Active exploitation status

Yes — actively exploited. Added to the CISA KEV catalog on 2021-11-03. 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:

Open in Sigma generator →

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: 2016-11-10T06:16:00.000Z
• Last modified: 2025-10-21T23:55:48.547Z
• Added to CISA KEV: 2021-11-03
• BOD 22-01 due: 2022-05-03

09References

• packetstormsecurity.com — http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/140468/Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-win32k.sys-…
• github.com — https://github.com/mwrlabs/CVE-2016-7255
• www.exploit-db.com — https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40823/
• www.exploit-db.com — https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/41015/
• securingtomorrow.mcafee.com — https://securingtomorrow.mcafee.com/mcafee-labs/digging-windows-kernel-privilege…
• www.exploit-db.com — https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40745/
• www.securitytracker.com — http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1037251
• docs.microsoft.com — https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-13…
• blog.trendmicro.com — http://blog.trendmicro.com/trendlabs-security-intelligence/one-bit-rule-system-a…
• www.securityfocus.com — http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/94064
• security.googleblog.com — https://security.googleblog.com/2016/10/disclosing-vulnerabilities-to-protect.ht…