{"id":"CVE-2016-0040","published":"2016-02-10T11:59:06Z","modified":"2026-06-17T00:36:50Z","title":"Microsoft Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability","vendor":"Microsoft","product":"Windows","tier":"core","eol":null,"description":{"text":"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.\"","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"summary":{"text":"The Windows kernel in Microsoft Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, and Windows 7 SP1 contains a flaw that lets local users gain elevated privileges. An attacker with local access on an affected system must get a user to run a crafted application, which is the required user interaction.","provenance":"ai","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","generatedAt":"2026-10-23T07:11:07Z"},"cvss":{"score":7.8,"severity":"HIGH","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"epss":{"score":0.24283,"percentile":0.97855,"date":"2026-10-28","provenance":"source"},"kev":{"dateAdded":"2022-03-28","dueDate":"2022-04-18","ransomware":false,"requiredAction":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","notes":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-0040","provenance":"source"},"vulncheckKev":{"dateAdded":"2022-03-28","exploitedFirstSeen":"2022-03-28","ransomware":false,"evidence":[{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json","date":"2022-03-28"}],"evidenceTotal":1,"provenance":"source"},"exploited":true,"otx":{"pulseCount":50,"pulses":[{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 29, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae20c1db17e7057ae7d9ad1","created":"2026-10-28"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 28, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae0ba7e0e2a97ff7b218819","created":"2026-10-27"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 27, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adf68b85c3e852f3c111d18","created":"2026-10-26"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 24, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adb740e397c3ad4799aa4cd","created":"2026-10-23"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 23, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ada236fcfba2dfa730ea482","created":"2026-10-22"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 22, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad8d33a077cbb5cab524d80","created":"2026-10-21"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 21, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad78130c4d1ac2be83a8b6d","created":"2026-10-20"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 20, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad62f63c24a405a3423cc13","created":"2026-10-19"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 19, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad4dda174e5797d0bd238b7","created":"2026-10-18"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 18, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad38c22e1848f8189d1c121","created":"2026-10-17"}],"provenance":"machine"},"cwes":[{"id":"CWE-264","name":null}],"references":[{"url":"http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1034985","tags":["Broken Link","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-014","tags":["Patch","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/44586/","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1034985","tags":["Broken Link","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-014","tags":["Patch","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/44586/","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2016-0040","tags":["US Government Resource"]}],"techniques":[{"id":"T1204.002","name":"Malicious File","tactics":["execution"],"provenance":"ai","basis":"ai-mapping","bases":["ai-mapping"],"basisDetail":"claude-haiku-5-5: User runs crafted application triggering the flaw","mappingType":"exploitation_technique","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted application","start":97,"end":160}],"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","confidence":"medium","confidenceNote":"AI-mapped from the description (quote-validated, not expert-reviewed)"},{"id":"T1068","name":"Exploitation for Privilege Escalation","tactics":["privilege-escalation"],"provenance":"ai","basis":"ai-mapping","bases":["ai-mapping"],"basisDetail":"claude-haiku-5-5: Kernel flaw yields local privilege escalation","mappingType":"primary_impact","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted application","start":97,"end":160}],"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","confidence":"medium","confidenceNote":"AI-mapped from the description (quote-validated, not expert-reviewed)"}],"reports":[],"affected":[],"advisories":[],"euvd":{"id":"EUVD-2016-0078","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2016-0078","exploited":true,"exploitedSince":"2022-03-28","provenance":"source"},"exploits":[{"id":44586,"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/44586","title":"Microsoft Windows WMI - Recieve Notification Exploit (Metasploit)","type":"local","platform":"windows_x86-64","date":"2018-05-04","verified":true,"provenance":"source"}],"exploitSources":{"exploitdb":{"count":1,"earliest":"2018-05-04"},"pocGithub":{"count":2,"skipped":0,"earliest":"2016-02-26","earliestUrl":"https://github.com/Rootkitsmm-zz/cve-2016-0040","repos":[{"name":"Rootkitsmm-zz/cve-2016-0040","url":"https://github.com/Rootkitsmm-zz/cve-2016-0040","stars":45,"created":"2016-02-26"},{"name":"de7ec7ed/CVE-2016-0040","url":"https://github.com/de7ec7ed/CVE-2016-0040","stars":14,"created":"2017-08-03"}]},"metasploit":[{"name":"Windows WMI Receive Notification Exploit","module":"exploit/windows/local/ms16_014_wmi_recv_notif","type":"exploit","disclosureDate":"2015-12-04","url":"https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/windows/local/ms16_014_wmi_recv_notif.rb"}],"first":{"date":"2015-12-04","source":"Metasploit","url":"https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/windows/local/ms16_014_wmi_recv_notif.rb"},"provenance":"source"},"exploitRefs":["https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/44586/"],"flow":[{"stage":"exploitation","techniques":["T1204.002"],"provenance":"ai"},{"stage":"primary","techniques":["T1068"],"provenance":"ai"}],"timeline":[{"date":"2015-12-04","kind":"exploit-public","label":"First public exploit: Metasploit; later: PoC-in-GitHub 2016-02-26, Exploit-DB 2018-05-04","url":"https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/windows/local/ms16_014_wmi_recv_notif.rb","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2016-02-10","kind":"published","label":"Published (NVD)","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-0040","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2022-03-28","kind":"exploited-reported","label":"Exploitation first reported (VulnCheck KEV evidence)","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2022-03-28","kind":"kev","label":"Added to CISA KEV","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2022-03-28","kind":"euvd-exploited","label":"ENISA EUVD: exploited","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2016-0078","provenance":"source"}],"speed":{"daysToPublicExploit":null,"firstExploitFrom":"Metasploit","daysToKev":2238},"priority":{"score":68.0,"factors":[{"name":"In a KEV catalog","points":35.0,"detail":"listed in CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV"},{"name":"Recent KEV listing","points":0.0,"detail":"added 1676 days ago"},{"name":"Known ransomware use","points":0.0,"detail":"not known"},{"name":"EPSS percentile","points":19.57,"detail":"percentile 0.9786"},{"name":"Named in threat reports","points":0.0,"detail":"0 reports"},{"name":"Public exploit code","points":5.0,"detail":"1 NVD reference tagged Exploit; 1 Exploit-DB entry; 2 PoC-in-GitHub repos; 1 Metasploit module"},{"name":"Mentioned in OTX pulses","points":3.0,"detail":"50 pulses"},{"name":"CVSS severity","points":5.46,"detail":"base score 7.8"},{"name":"End-of-life product","points":0.0,"detail":"supported or unknown"}]},"lineage":{"familyId":"fam-class-microsoft-windows-cwe-264"}}