CVE-2016-0040: Technical Deep-Dive (Auto Refreshed)

Generated on 2026-03-30T15:13:45.998Z. This file is automatically regenerated every 30 minutes by the CVE AI enrichment job using web sources (NVD, MITRE, CISA KEV, GitHub).

Executive Technical Summary

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."

• Context preserved from previous revision: 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." Notes: Recent Fuzzing Paper

Technical Details

• CVE: CVE-2016-0040
• KEV date added: 2022-03-28
• KEV due date: 2022-04-18
• NVD published: 2016-02-10
• NVD modified: 2025-10-22
• MITRE modified: 2025-10-21
• CVSS base score: 7.8
• CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
• CVSS exploitability score: 1.8
• CVSS impact score: 5.9
• Attack vector: Local
• Attack complexity: Low
• Privileges required: None
• User interaction: Required
• Scope: Unchanged
• Confidentiality impact: High
• Integrity impact: High
• Availability impact: High

Versions and Products Impacted

• microsoft / windows 7
• microsoft / windows server 2008
• microsoft / windows server 2008 (versions: r2)
• microsoft / windows vista
• n/a / n/a (versions: n/a)

Weakness Classification

• NVD-CWE-noinfo
• CWE-noinfo Not enough information

Repositories for Lab Validation (Public Examples)

• wcventure/FuzzingPaper | stars: 2743 | updated: 2026-03-29 | https://github.com/wcventure/FuzzingPaper
  Notes: Recent Fuzzing Paper
• Ostorlab/KEV | stars: 608 | updated: 2026-03-23 | https://github.com/Ostorlab/KEV
  Notes: Ostorlab KEV: One-command to detect most remotely known exploitable vulnerabilities. Sourced from CISA KEV, Google's Tsunami, Ostorlab's Asteroid and Bug Bounty programs.
• CVEDB/awesome-cve-repo | stars: 9 | updated: 2026-03-10 | https://github.com/CVEDB/awesome-cve-repo
• CVEDB/top | stars: 2 | updated: 2026-01-17 | https://github.com/CVEDB/top

People and Organizations Mentioned

• microsoft
• Windows
• wcventure
• Ostorlab
• CVEDB

Practical Defensive Validation (Authorized Only)

1. Use only isolated environments and systems you own or are explicitly authorized to test.
2. Snapshot infrastructure before validation and preserve baseline logs (EDR, SIEM, OS, app).
3. Create low-privilege users on microsoft / windows 7 and validate that patching blocks unauthorized admin-level actions.
4. Compare token/privilege transitions in Windows Event Logs before and after remediation.
5. Tune detections for unusual group membership changes and SYSTEM-level process launches from user sessions.

References

• NVD record: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-0040
• MITRE CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-0040
• CISA KEV Catalog: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog
• CISA KEV JSON feed: https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json
• KEV notes: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-0040
• http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1034985
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-014
• https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/44586/
• https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2016-0040
• Repository example: https://github.com/wcventure/FuzzingPaper
• Repository example: https://github.com/Ostorlab/KEV
• Repository example: https://github.com/CVEDB/awesome-cve-repo
• Repository example: https://github.com/CVEDB/top

This content is for defensive security training and authorized validation only.