{"id":"CVE-2016-3309","published":"2016-08-09T21:59:16Z","modified":"2026-06-17T00:45:28Z","title":"Microsoft Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability","vendor":"Microsoft","product":"Windows","tier":"core","eol":null,"description":{"text":"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; and Windows 10 Gold, 1511, and 1607 allow local users to gain privileges via a crafted application, aka \"Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability,\" a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-3308, CVE-2016-3310, and CVE-2016-3311.","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"summary":{"text":"The kernel-mode drivers in Microsoft Windows, specifically the Win32k component, contain a privilege escalation flaw affecting Windows Vista SP2 through Windows 10 (including Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012, and Windows RT 8.1). An attacker with local, low-privileged access to the system can exploit it by running a crafted application, requiring no user interaction, to gain elevated privileges.","provenance":"ai","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","generatedAt":"2026-10-23T06:59:46Z"},"cvss":{"score":7.8,"severity":"HIGH","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"epss":{"score":0.20467,"percentile":0.97498,"date":"2026-10-28","provenance":"source"},"kev":{"dateAdded":"2022-03-15","dueDate":"2022-04-05","ransomware":true,"requiredAction":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","notes":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-3309","provenance":"source"},"vulncheckKev":{"dateAdded":"2022-03-15","exploitedFirstSeen":"2022-03-15","ransomware":true,"evidence":[{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json","date":"2022-03-15"},{"url":"https://www.tenable.com/blog/contileaks-chats-reveal-over-30-vulnerabilities-used-by-conti-ransomware-affiliates","date":"2022-03-24"},{"url":"https://cybersecurityworks.com/howdymanage/uploads/file/RansomwareUpdate%20Report%202022%20Q1.pdf","date":"2022-04-12"},{"url":"https://www.securin.io/articles/all-about-conti-ransomware/","date":"2022-06-29"}],"evidenceTotal":4,"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.securityfocus.com/bid/92297","tags":["Broken Link","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1036572","tags":["Broken Link","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-098","tags":["Patch","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/42960/","tags":["Broken Link","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/92297","tags":["Broken Link","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1036572","tags":["Broken Link","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-098","tags":["Patch","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/42960/","tags":["Broken Link","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2016-3309","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: local user runs crafted application","mappingType":"exploitation_technique","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"allow local users to gain privileges via a crafted application","start":205,"end":267}],"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 driver flaw grants privilege escalation","mappingType":"primary_impact","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"allow local users to gain privileges via a crafted application","start":205,"end":267}],"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","confidence":"medium","confidenceNote":"AI-mapped from the description (quote-validated, not expert-reviewed)"}],"reports":[],"affected":[],"advisories":[],"euvd":{"id":"EUVD-2016-4341","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2016-4341","exploited":true,"exploitedSince":"2022-03-15","provenance":"source"},"exploits":[{"id":42960,"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/42960","title":"Microsoft Windows 10 RS2 (x64) - 'win32kfull!bFill' Pool Overflow","type":"local","platform":"windows_x86-64","date":"2017-10-06","verified":false,"provenance":"source"}],"exploitSources":{"exploitdb":{"count":1,"earliest":"2017-10-06"},"pocGithub":{"count":1,"skipped":0,"earliest":"2017-10-06","earliestUrl":"https://github.com/siberas/CVE-2016-3309_Reloaded","repos":[{"name":"siberas/CVE-2016-3309_Reloaded","url":"https://github.com/siberas/CVE-2016-3309_Reloaded","stars":53,"created":"2017-10-06"}]},"first":{"date":"2017-10-06","source":"Exploit-DB","url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/42960"},"provenance":"source"},"exploitRefs":["https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/42960/"],"flow":[{"stage":"exploitation","techniques":["T1204.002"],"provenance":"ai"},{"stage":"primary","techniques":["T1068"],"provenance":"ai"}],"timeline":[{"date":"2016-08-09","kind":"published","label":"Published (NVD)","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-3309","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2017-10-06","kind":"exploit-public","label":"First public exploit: Exploit-DB (EDB-42960); later: PoC-in-GitHub 2017-10-06","url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/42960","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2022-03-15","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":"2022-03-15","kind":"kev","label":"Added to CISA KEV (known ransomware use)","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2022-03-15","kind":"euvd-exploited","label":"ENISA EUVD: exploited","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2016-4341","provenance":"source"}],"speed":{"daysToPublicExploit":423,"firstExploitFrom":"Exploit-DB","daysToKev":2044},"priority":{"score":78.0,"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 1689 days ago"},{"name":"Known ransomware use","points":10.0,"detail":"CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV: Known"},{"name":"EPSS percentile","points":19.5,"detail":"percentile 0.9750"},{"name":"Named in threat reports","points":0.0,"detail":"0 reports"},{"name":"Public exploit code","points":5.0,"detail":"1 Exploit-DB entry; 1 NVD exploit link; 1 PoC-in-GitHub repo"},{"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"}}