Vulnerability · CVE-2016-0165
Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
Published Apr 12, 2016 · catalog updated Jun 16, 2026 · Microsoft Win32k
Patch now
CVE-2016-0165 is in the CISA known-exploited catalog, due Jul 13, 2023. Confirm Microsoft Win32k against the vendor advisory and apply that fix. The CVSS score does not change the priority.
Gaps on this record
- No version range is stored. A customer cannot check an installed version against this record.
- Severity
- High7.8
- Known exploitation
- CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV
- EPSS
- 13.73%
- Remediation
- Remediation guidance
- Affected products
- cpe microsoft/windows 10 1507 · cpe microsoft/windows 10 1511 · cpe microsoft/windows 7 · cpe microsoft/windows 8.1 · cpe microsoft/windows rt 8.1 · cpe microsoft/windows server 2008
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.
Are you affected?
Enter the version you run. The result uses only the ranges stored on this record.
The check returns affected, not affected, or incomplete. It does not guess a version that is missing from the record.
- cpe microsoft/windows 10 1507version unspecified
- cpe microsoft/windows 10 1511version unspecified
- cpe microsoft/windows 7version unspecified
- cpe microsoft/windows 8.1version unspecified
- cpe microsoft/windows rt 8.1version unspecified
- cpe microsoft/windows server 2008r2
- cpe microsoft/windows server 2012version unspecified
- vendor Microsoft Win32kversion unspecified
How to fix CVE-2016-0165
Recommended remediation
Apply updates per vendor instructions. CISA due date Jul 13, 2023.
Official advisories
What to do
Three questions, each answered from this record only. Confirm the vendor advisory before you patch.
Should you patch?
CVE-2016-0165 is in the CISA known-exploited catalog, due Jul 13, 2023. Confirm Microsoft Win32k against the vendor advisory and apply that fix. The CVSS score does not change the priority.
Which versions are affected?
Compare what you have installed with microsoft/windows server 2008 r2. Apply updates per vendor instructions.
What should an analyst verify?
CWE-264. EPSS 13.73%. The CISA KEV listing is the exploitation evidence. A public exploit reference is linked in Sources. That is not the same as confirmed exploitation. Use the source links for the original advisory.
Technology hubs
Code
The project this record applies to. Exploit listings stay in References.
No public source repository is identified for this product.
Timeline
Detection, updates, and resolution for this record.
Apr 12, 2016 · Catalog
Detected
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.
Jun 22, 2023 · CISA KEV
Known exploited
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Jul 13, 2023 · CISA KEV
Remediation due
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Jun 16, 2026 · Catalog
Updated
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.
Sources
- CISA KEVConfirmed exploitationCVE-2016-0165
Microsoft Win32k contains an unspecified vulnerability that allows for privilege escalation.
cisa.gov - CVE.orgVulnerability recordCVE-2016-0165
Official CVE identifier
cve.org - FIRST EPSSExploitation probabilityCVE-2016-0165
30-day exploitation probability 13.7%
first.org - Exploit DatabasePublic exploit reference44480
Public archive entry. The exploit body is not stored here.
exploit-db.com - NIST NVDVulnerability recordCVE-2016-0165
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 Elevat
nvd.nist.gov - VulnCheck KEVConfirmed exploitationCVE-2016-0165
Microsoft Win32k contains an unspecified vulnerability that allows for privilege escalation.
vulncheck.com
References
- Broken Link · securitytracker.com
- Broken Link · securitytracker.com
- VulnCheck exploitation evidence · dl.acm.org
- VulnCheck exploitation evidence · docs.google.com
- Patch · docs.microsoft.com
- CISA note · learn.microsoft.com
- CISA note · nvd.nist.gov
- VulnCheck exploitation evidence · cisa.gov
- Product · exploit-db.com
Freshness
Last verified in this catalog Oct 17, 2026. Significant claims (KEV, EPSS, CVSS, affected ranges) come from the source rows above — open the original publisher for the authoritative advisory.