Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HSummary
CVE-2015-0016 is a high-severity Path Traversal (CWE-22) vulnerability in Microsoft Windows Server 2012. Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked in the top 0.5% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
The vulnerability is a directory traversal flaw in the TS WebProxy (TSWbPrxy) component, tracked as CVE-2015-0016 with CWE-22. It affects Microsoft Windows Vista SP2, Windows 7 SP1, Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, and Windows RT Gold and 8.1. The issue permits privilege escalation when a crafted pathname is supplied in an executable file, as demonstrated by an integrity-level transition from Low to Medium.
Remote attackers can exploit the flaw to escape the Internet Explorer sandbox and obtain elevated privileges on the target system. The CVSS 3.1 score of 7.8 reflects local attack vector, low complexity, no privileges required, and required user interaction, resulting in high impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Public exploit code and technical analyses have been published, including detailed walkthroughs of the IE sandbox escape technique and proof-of-concept files hosted on Exploit-DB and Packet Storm. Advisories from vendors such as Secunia reference the associated Microsoft bulletin for patch availability.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2015-0054
Vulnerability Data
Directory traversal vulnerability in the TS WebProxy (aka TSWbPrxy) component in Microsoft Windows Vista SP2, Windows 7 SP1, Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, and Windows RT Gold and 8.1 allows…
more
remote attackers to gain privileges via a crafted pathname in an executable file, as demonstrated by a transition from Low Integrity to Medium Integrity, aka "Directory Traversal Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability."
- CWE(s)
- KEV Date Added
- 25 May 2022
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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V5.3.2
Likely Mitigating Controls AI
Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.
Validates pathnames and filenames to prevent traversal outside intended directories.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Patching/maintenance can remediate known path-traversal flaws in deployed software (partial prevention of exploitability) but does nothing to stop the coding defect from being introduced in the first place.
PR.AA-05 defines and reviews access policies but does not address code-level pathname neutralization, so neither direction prevents CWE-22.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Security testing in development catches path traversal via static/dynamic analysis.
Secure SDLC mandates input validation and path sanitization that directly prevent path traversal.
Application security requirements include rules for safe file handling and canonicalization.
Secure architecture principles require least-privilege file access and directory isolation.
Secure coding standards explicitly forbid unsafe path construction and mandate safe APIs.
Information access restriction limits which files an application may read or write.