How severe is CVE-2016-0040?

CVE-2016-0040 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 (HIGH). EPSS estimates a 24.5% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

CVE-2016-0040: Microsoft Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation

CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities

Microsoft Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability is confirmed as actively exploited and is listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

Added to KEV

2022-03-28

Remediation due

2022-04-18

Required action
Apply updates per vendor instructions.

CISA notes
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-0040

Description

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."

Severity

CVSS 3.1 · CISA7.8 HIGH

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

SSVC · CISA-ADP

Exploitationactive

Automatableno

Technical impacttotal

Exploitation Context

as of October 15, 2026

All KEV statistics→

CISA added CVE-2016-0040 to the KEV catalog 2,238 days after its CVE record was published.
It is one of 391 Microsoft entries in the CISA KEV catalog, and one of 166 added in 2022.
Its current EPSS score (24.5%) is higher than that of 38% of CISA KEV entries.

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Affected versions
-	-	n/a

References

3 Links

Vendor advisories

MS16-014

Exploits & PoCs

44586

Vulnerability databases

1034985

Record Details

Published

2016-02-10

Last updated

2025-10-21

Assigner (CNA)

microsoft

Credited to

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CVE record data © The MITRE Corporation, used under the CVE Terms of Use. Exploited-in-the-wild data from the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (CC0). Exploit prediction scores by FIRST EPSS (first.org/epss). This site is not endorsed or certified by MITRE, NVD, CISA, or FIRST.