CVE-2016-0040
The kernel in Microsoft Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, and Windows 7 SP1...
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."
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- Required
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
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."
- Record
CVE-2016-0040- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 7.2 High
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C - Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List
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."
- Record
CVE-2016-0040- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2016-0078
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."
- Record
EUVD-2016-0078- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-hvmm-257f-6qw7
The kernel in Microsoft Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, and Windows 7 SP1...
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."
- Record
GHSA-hvmm-257f-6qw7- CVSS 3.0
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
CISA KEV No score
Microsoft Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
The kernel in Microsoft Windows allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted application.
- Record
CVE-2016-0040- Weakness
- CWE-264
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Public exploits
Links only. Every CVE stores no exploit code.
| Source | Link | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Metasploit | Windows WMI Receive Notification Exploit | 2015-12-04 |
| PoC in GitHub | Rootkitsmm-zz/cve-2016-0040 | 2016-02-26 |
| PoC in GitHub | de7ec7ed/CVE-2016-0040 | 2017-08-03 |
| Exploit-DB | Microsoft Windows WMI - Recieve Notification Exploit (Metasploit) | 2018-05-04 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| exploitation, exploits | ||
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, Exploit-DB, GitHub Advisories, CISA KEV, Metasploit, NVD, PoC in GitHub |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2016-0040 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.8) in Microsoft Windows, published February 10, 2016. CISA lists it as known to be exploited, since March 28, 2022. EUVD reports exploitation since March 28, 2022. Public exploit code exists. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 24.3%, the 97th percentile. No source names a fixed version.