CVE-2016-7255

HIGHNVD 7.89.0▲
EchelonGraph scoreHIGH confidence

Score elevated to 9.0 because this CVE is listed on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2021-11-03), indicating real-world exploitation has been confirmed by US federal agencies. NVD baseline CVSS 7.8 retained for reference. Confidence: HIGH.

Triggered by: CISA KEV (actively exploited)
Sources: cisa_kev, epss, ghsa, nvd
Trending — 5 sources updated this weekExploited in the wild
7.8
EchelonGraph verdictPatch nowTreat as an emergency — this is being exploited.
  • Actively exploited in the wild (CISA-KEV)
CISA-KEV: ExploitedEPSS: 81%CVSS: 7.8Exploit: NoneExposed: 0

No vendor fix yet — apply a workaround or compensating control (WAF / firewall / segmentation) and watch for a patch.

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, Windows 10 Gold, 1511, and 1607, and Windows Server 2016 allow local users to gain privileges via a crafted application, aka "Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability."

CVSS v3
7.8
EG Score
9.0(high)
EG Risk
81(Attend)
EG Risk 81/100SSVC: Attend

EG Risk is EchelonGraph's 0–100 priority score: it fuses intrinsic severity with real-world exploitation and automatability so you can rank equal-severity CVEs and fix the most dangerous first. Higher = act sooner. Distinct from the 0–10 EG Score (severity).

How it’s computed
Severity90% × 45%
Exploitation100% × 40%
Automatability0% × 15%
Action: Remediate soon — notable exploitation risk.
EPSS
99.6%
KEV
⚠ Exploited

Published

November 10, 2016

Last Modified

April 22, 2026

Advisory Details (7)

Auto-updated May 19, 2026
⚠️ Active exploitation confirmed. No patch confirmed yet.
generic🟡 PoC Available

Microsoft Windows Kernel - 'win32k.sys NtSetWindowLongPtr' Local Privilege Escalation (MS16-135) (1) - Windows local Exploit

https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40823/
generic🟡 PoC Available

Microsoft Windows Kernel - 'win32k' Denial of Service (MS16-135) - Windows dos Exploit

https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40745/
generic🔴 Active Exploitation

Google Online Security Blog: Disclosing vulnerabilities to protect users

https://security.googleblog.com/2016/10/disclosing-vulnerabilities-to-protect.html
generic🔴 Active Exploitation

GitHub - FSecureLABS/CVE-2016-7255: An exploit for CVE-2016-7255 on Windows 7/8/8.1/10(pre-anniversary) 64 bit · GitHub

https://github.com/mwrlabs/CVE-2016-7255
generic

Microsoft Security Bulletin MS16-135 - Important | Microsoft Learn

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-135
generic
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1037251
generic
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/94064

All Vendor Advisories

(1)

Every vendor that published an advisory referencing this CVE — pulled from our cve_vendor_advisories aggregation. Click any row for the vendor's original advisory page.

Data Freshness Timeline

(refreshed 62× in last 7d / 363× in last 30d)

Each row is a source pipeline that fetched or updated this CVE on that date, with what changed. For example, "NVD update" means NVD published or revised its analysis for this CVE; "MITRE cvelistV5" means we ingested or refreshed it from the CNA feed. Most recent first.

Showing the most recent 100 of 724 total refreshes for this CVE.

  1. 2026-07-24 14:13 UTCEPSS rescore
  2. 2026-07-23 01:24 UTCEG score recompute
  3. 2026-07-22 22:03 UTCEG score recompute
  4. 2026-07-22 20:59 UTCGHSA enrichment
  5. 2026-07-22 19:40 UTCCISA KEV update
  6. 2026-07-22 17:04 UTCEG score recompute
  7. 2026-07-22 17:04 UTCVendor advisory
  8. 2026-07-22 17:04 UTCGHSA enrichment
  9. 2026-07-22 14:04 UTCEPSS rescore
  10. 2026-07-22 13:07 UTCVendor advisory
  11. 2026-07-22 13:07 UTCGHSA enrichment
  12. 2026-07-22 09:13 UTCVendor advisory
  13. 2026-07-22 09:13 UTCGHSA enrichment
  14. 2026-07-22 05:18 UTCVendor advisory
  15. 2026-07-22 05:18 UTCGHSA enrichment
  16. 2026-07-22 01:02 UTCVendor advisory
  17. 2026-07-22 01:02 UTCGHSA enrichment
  18. 2026-07-21 20:48 UTCVendor advisory
  19. 2026-07-21 20:48 UTCGHSA enrichment
  20. 2026-07-21 16:50 UTCVendor advisory
  21. 2026-07-21 16:50 UTCGHSA enrichment
  22. 2026-07-21 14:37 UTCCISA KEV update
  23. 2026-07-21 12:55 UTCVendor advisory
  24. 2026-07-21 12:55 UTCGHSA enrichment
  25. 2026-07-21 08:58 UTCVendor advisory
Show 75 more
  1. 2026-07-21 08:58 UTCGHSA enrichment
  2. 2026-07-21 05:04 UTCVendor advisory
  3. 2026-07-21 05:03 UTCGHSA enrichment
  4. 2026-07-21 01:08 UTCVendor advisory
  5. 2026-07-21 01:07 UTCGHSA enrichment
  6. 2026-07-20 21:13 UTCVendor advisory
  7. 2026-07-20 21:12 UTCGHSA enrichment
  8. 2026-07-20 17:18 UTCEG score recompute
  9. 2026-07-20 17:18 UTCVendor advisory
  10. 2026-07-20 17:18 UTCGHSA enrichment
  11. 2026-07-20 17:04 UTCEPSS rescore
  12. 2026-07-20 13:24 UTCGHSA enrichment
  13. 2026-07-20 09:30 UTCVendor advisory
  14. 2026-07-20 09:30 UTCGHSA enrichment
  15. 2026-07-20 05:36 UTCVendor advisory
  16. 2026-07-20 05:36 UTCGHSA enrichment
  17. 2026-07-20 01:43 UTCVendor advisory
  18. 2026-07-20 01:43 UTCGHSA enrichment
  19. 2026-07-19 21:49 UTCVendor advisory
  20. 2026-07-19 21:49 UTCGHSA enrichment
  21. 2026-07-19 17:55 UTCVendor advisory
  22. 2026-07-19 17:55 UTCGHSA enrichment
  23. 2026-07-19 14:01 UTCVendor advisory
  24. 2026-07-19 14:01 UTCGHSA enrichment
  25. 2026-07-19 10:08 UTCVendor advisory
  26. 2026-07-19 10:08 UTCGHSA enrichment
  27. 2026-07-19 06:14 UTCVendor advisory
  28. 2026-07-19 06:13 UTCGHSA enrichment
  29. 2026-07-19 02:19 UTCGHSA enrichment
  30. 2026-07-18 22:24 UTCVendor advisory
  31. 2026-07-18 22:24 UTCGHSA enrichment
  32. 2026-07-18 18:30 UTCVendor advisory
  33. 2026-07-18 18:30 UTCGHSA enrichment
  34. 2026-07-18 14:36 UTCVendor advisory
  35. 2026-07-18 14:36 UTCGHSA enrichment
  36. 2026-07-18 10:42 UTCVendor advisory
  37. 2026-07-18 10:42 UTCGHSA enrichment
  38. 2026-07-18 06:48 UTCVendor advisory
  39. 2026-07-18 06:48 UTCGHSA enrichment
  40. 2026-07-18 02:54 UTCVendor advisory
  41. 2026-07-18 02:54 UTCGHSA enrichment
  42. 2026-07-17 23:00 UTCVendor advisory
  43. 2026-07-17 23:00 UTCGHSA enrichment
  44. 2026-07-17 19:06 UTCVendor advisory
  45. 2026-07-17 19:06 UTCGHSA enrichment
  46. 2026-07-17 15:12 UTCVendor advisory
  47. 2026-07-17 15:12 UTCGHSA enrichment
  48. 2026-07-17 11:18 UTCVendor advisory
  49. 2026-07-17 11:18 UTCGHSA enrichment
  50. 2026-07-17 07:24 UTCEG score recompute
  51. 2026-07-17 07:24 UTCVendor advisory
  52. 2026-07-17 07:24 UTCGHSA enrichment
  53. 2026-07-17 03:30 UTCVendor advisory
  54. 2026-07-17 03:30 UTCGHSA enrichment
  55. 2026-07-16 23:36 UTCVendor advisory
  56. 2026-07-16 23:36 UTCGHSA enrichment
  57. 2026-07-16 19:42 UTCVendor advisory
  58. 2026-07-16 19:42 UTCGHSA enrichment
  59. 2026-07-16 17:04 UTCCISA KEV update
  60. 2026-07-16 16:59 UTCEPSS rescore
  61. 2026-07-16 16:59 UTCEPSS rescore
  62. 2026-07-16 15:48 UTCVendor advisory
  63. 2026-07-16 15:48 UTCGHSA enrichment
  64. 2026-07-16 11:53 UTCVendor advisory
  65. 2026-07-16 11:53 UTCGHSA enrichment
  66. 2026-07-16 07:59 UTCVendor advisory
  67. 2026-07-16 07:59 UTCGHSA enrichment
  68. 2026-07-16 04:05 UTCVendor advisory
  69. 2026-07-16 04:05 UTCGHSA enrichment
  70. 2026-07-16 00:10 UTCVendor advisory
  71. 2026-07-16 00:10 UTCGHSA enrichment
  72. 2026-07-15 20:15 UTCVendor advisory
  73. 2026-07-15 20:15 UTCGHSA enrichment
  74. 2026-07-15 16:54 UTCEPSS rescore
  75. 2026-07-15 16:54 UTCEPSS rescore

Publicly available exploits

(6 references)

Working exploit code is in the public domain (3 GitHub PoCs) (3 Exploit-DB entries). Defenders should treat patch urgency accordingly — public PoCs typically lead to mass-exploitation within 24-72 hours.

  • GitHub PoCyuvatia/page-table-exploitation
    First seen Jun 9, 2018

    A demonstration of how page tables can be used to run arbitrary code in ring-0 and lead to a privesc. Uses CVE-2016-7255 as an example.

    Open source ↗
  • GitHub PoCFSecureLABS/CVE-2016-7255
    First seen Mar 2, 2017

    An exploit for CVE-2016-7255 on Windows 7/8/8.1/10(pre-anniversary) 64 bit

    Open source ↗
  • GitHub PoCheh3/CVE-2016-7255
    First seen Jan 13, 2017
    Open source ↗
  • Exploit-DBEDB-41015
    First seen Jan 8, 2017

    Microsoft Windows Kernel - 'win32k.sys NtSetWindowLongPtr' Local Privilege Escalation (MS16-135) (2)

    Open source ↗
  • Exploit-DBEDB-40823
    First seen Nov 24, 2016

    Microsoft Windows Kernel - 'win32k.sys NtSetWindowLongPtr' Local Privilege Escalation (MS16-135) (1)

    Open source ↗
  • Exploit-DBEDB-40745
    First seen Nov 9, 2016

    Microsoft Windows Kernel - 'win32k' Denial of Service (MS16-135)

    Open source ↗

Related CVEs(same vendor)

Frequently asked(6)

What is CVE-2016-7255?
CVE-2016-7255 is a high vulnerability published on November 10, 2016. 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, Windows 10 Gold, 1511, and 1607, and Windows Server 2016 allow local users to gain privileges via a crafted application, aka…
When was CVE-2016-7255 disclosed?
CVE-2016-7255 was first published in the National Vulnerability Database on November 10, 2016, with the most recent update on April 22, 2026. EchelonGraph re-ingests CVE updates from NVD on a 2-hour cycle, so this page reflects the latest published state.
Is CVE-2016-7255 actively exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2016-7255 to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on November 3, 2021, affecting Microsoft Win32k. KEV listing indicates confirmed exploitation in the wild; this CVE warrants immediate patching attention.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2016-7255?
CVE-2016-7255 has a CVSS v3 base score of 7.8 (NVD). EchelonGraph synthesises NVD + CISA KEV + FIRST EPSS + GHSA into a combined EG score of 9.0.
Which products are affected by CVE-2016-7255?
CVE-2016-7255 affects Microsoft Win32k. The full affected-products list, including version ranges and fixed versions, is shown in the Affected Packages section of this page.
How do I remediate CVE-2016-7255?
Patch to the fixed version published by the affected vendor. Where vendor advisories exist for CVE-2016-7255, EchelonGraph cross-links them in the Vendor Advisories panel below — those typically contain the canonical remediation steps, fixed version numbers, and any vendor-specific mitigations.

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