CVE-2016-0165: Technical Deep-Dive (Auto Refreshed)

Generated on 2026-03-26T21:59:17.847Z. 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-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.

• Context preserved from previous revision: 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. 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.

Technical Details

• CVE: CVE-2016-0165
• KEV date added: 2023-06-22
• KEV due date: 2023-07-13
• NVD published: Unknown
• NVD modified: Unknown
• MITRE modified: 2025-10-21
• CVSS base score: N/A
• CVSS vector: N/A
• CVSS exploitability score: N/A
• CVSS impact score: N/A
• Attack vector: Unknown
• Attack complexity: Unknown
• Privileges required: Unknown
• User interaction: Unknown
• Scope: Unknown
• Confidentiality impact: Unknown
• Integrity impact: Unknown
• Availability impact: Unknown

Versions and Products Impacted

• n/a / n/a (versions: n/a)

Weakness Classification

• CWE-noinfo Not enough information

Repositories for Lab Validation (Public Examples)

• No public repository matched this CVE query in the current run.

People and Organizations Mentioned

• microsoft
• Win32k

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 n/a / n/a (versions: n/a) 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-2016-0165
• MITRE CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-0165
• 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://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-039; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-0165
• http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1035529
• https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/44480/
• http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1035532
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-039
• https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2016-0165

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