{"id":"CVE-2016-0040","kind":"vulnerability","aliases":["CVE-2016-0040"],"related":[],"title":"Microsoft Windows: Microsoft Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability","description":"The kernel in Microsoft Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, and Windows 7 SP1 allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted application, aka \"Windows Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability.\"","summary":"The Windows kernel contains a flaw that lets a local user gain higher privileges by running a crafted application. An attacker who already has a foothold on the machine can become SYSTEM or administrator.","severity":"high","cvss":7.8,"epss":0.24283,"exploited":true,"exploited_at":"2022-03-28T00:00:00+00:00","products":[{"name":"Microsoft Windows","fixed":[],"affected":"","ecosystem":"vendor"}],"ecosystems":["vendor"],"tags":["exploited","infrastructure","self-hosted","windows"],"not_affected_if":["patched-windows"],"how_to_check":null,"fix":"Apply the Microsoft update for CVE-2016-0040 per vendor instructions, as CISA requires; the specific KB number is unknown from the sources.","status":"open","published_at":"2016-02-10T11:59:06+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:11:52+00:00","triaged_at":"2026-10-23T21:19:51+00:00","updated_at":"2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00","category":"infrastructure","confidence":0.7,"triage":{"at":"2026-10-23T21:19:51Z","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","output":{"fix":"Apply the Microsoft update for CVE-2016-0040 per vendor instructions, as CISA requires; the specific KB number is unknown from the sources.","reach":"local","impact":"high","summary":"The Windows kernel contains a flaw that lets a local user gain higher privileges by running a crafted application. An attacker who already has a foothold on the machine can become SYSTEM or administrator.","category":"infrastructure","who_cares":["windows","self-hosted"],"confidence":0.7,"needs_auth":"yes","worst_case":"Local attacker gains kernel-level privileges and full control of the machine.","analyst_note":"Find the Microsoft bulletin (MS16-014 is likely but unconfirmed by sources) and affected Windows builds, and confirm the fixed KB numbers.","how_to_check":"unknown","needs_analyst":true,"not_affected_if":["patched-windows"],"user_interaction":"no","needs_special_setup":"no","severity_if_unknown":"high"},"cost_usd":0.000455,"input_tokens":2812,"output_tokens":347,"severity_before":"unknown"},"analyst_status":null,"analyst_note":null,"search":"'-0040':11A,14A '-2016':10A,13A '2008':66C '7':73C 'administr':56B 'aka':85C 'allow':75C 'alreadi':45B 'applic':41B,84C 'attack':43B 'becom':53B 'contain':26B 'craft':40B,83C 'cve':9A,12A 'elev':87C 'escal':7A 'exploit':17B 'flaw':28B 'foothold':48B 'gain':34B,79C 'higher':35B 'host':21B 'infrastructur':18B 'kernel':5A,25B,58C 'let':30B 'local':32B,76C 'machin':51B 'microsoft':1A,3A,15A,60C 'privileg':6A,36B,80C,89C 'r2':69C 'run':38B 'self':20B 'self-host':19B 'server':65C 'sp1':70C,74C 'sp2':63C,67C 'system':54B 'user':33B,77C 'via':81C 'vista':62C 'vulner':8A,90C 'window':2A,4A,22B,24B,61C,64C,72C,86C 'windows':16A","nicknames":[],"mitigations":[],"who_affected":null,"tier":null,"verified":{},"analyst_revisit_at":null,"first_public_at":"2016-02-10T11:59:06+00:00","kev":{"dateAdded":"2022-03-28","dueDate":"2022-04-18","requiredAction":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","knownRansomwareCampaignUse":"Unknown"},"cvss_vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","cvss_by":"nvd@nist.gov","poc_count":0,"sources":[{"source":"kev","external_id":"CVE-2016-0040","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2016-0040","severity":null,"published_at":"2022-03-28T00:00:00+00:00","modified_at":null,"first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:11:52+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-25T13:39:31+00:00","note":null},{"source":"epss","external_id":"CVE-2016-0040","url":"https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2016-0040","severity":null,"published_at":null,"modified_at":null,"first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:13:45+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-23T19:13:45+00:00","note":null},{"source":"nvd","external_id":"CVE-2016-0040","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-0040","severity":null,"published_at":"2016-02-10T11:59:06+00:00","modified_at":"2026-06-17T00:36:50+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00","note":null}],"documents":[],"notice":"Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai"}