Security Resilience

CVE-2016-0151

LPE in Microsoft Windows Server 2012 r2

CISA KEVActive ExploitationEUVD ExploitedPublic PoCRansomware-linkedLPE
Published
12 April 2016
Modified
21 April 2026
KEV Added
28 March 2022
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 7.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.63 99.2th percentile
Risk Priority 83 floored blend · peak EPSS

CVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.

Summary

CVE-2016-0151 is a high-severity Improper Privilege Management (CWE-269) vulnerability in Microsoft Windows Server 2012. Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).

Operationally, ranked in the top 0.8% 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 security feature bypass issue in the Client-Server Run-time Subsystem (CSRSS) component of Microsoft Windows, stemming from improper management of process tokens as classified under CWE-269. It affects Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 (including R2), Windows RT 8.1, and Windows 10 (Gold and 1511 releases), and carries a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 reflecting high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Local attackers can exploit the flaw by running a crafted application on an affected system, allowing them to bypass security restrictions and elevate privileges without requiring prior authentication or user interaction beyond executing the code.

Microsoft security bulletin MS16-048 addresses the issue through available patches, as referenced in the associated advisories from April 2016. Public exploit code for the vulnerability has also been published on Exploit-DB.

The issue enables local privilege escalation on unpatched systems meeting the affected platform criteria.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

The Client-Server Run-time Subsystem (CSRSS) in Microsoft Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows 10 Gold and 1511 mismanages process tokens, which allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted application, aka "Windows…

more

CSRSS Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability."

CWE(s)
KEV Date Added
28 March 2022

Related Threats

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2019-1388Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507both on KEV
CVE-2019-1405Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507both on KEV
CVE-2019-1215Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507both on KEV
CVE-2016-0167Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507both on KEV
CVE-2016-0165Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507both on KEV
CVE-2024-26169Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507both on KEV
CVE-2024-38014Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507both on KEV
CVE-2026-21533Same product: Microsoft Windows Server 2012both on KEV
CVE-2016-3393Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507both on KEV
CVE-2016-3309Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507both on KEV

Affected Assets

microsoft
windows 10 1507
all versions
microsoft
windows 10 1511
all versions
microsoft
windows 8.1
all versions
microsoft
windows rt 8.1
all versions
microsoft
windows server 2012
all versions, r2

Mitigating Controls

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.

addresses: CWE-269

Policy addresses roles, responsibilities, and privilege management to prevent improper privilege assignments.

addresses: CWE-269

Access supervision ensures privileges are assigned and managed without improper escalation or retention.

addresses: CWE-269

Assigning group/role memberships and access authorizations (privileges) while reviewing accounts addresses improper privilege management.

addresses: CWE-269

Enforces proper privilege management by requiring all decisions through the verified reference monitor.

addresses: CWE-269

By mandating division of duties across roles, the control enforces proper privilege management and prevents a single entity from controlling an entire sensitive process.

addresses: CWE-269

Implements core proper privilege management by restricting to only required rights.

addresses: CWE-269

Policy requires training on privilege management and least privilege, making it harder to exploit improper privilege management weaknesses.

addresses: CWE-269

Training covers proper privilege management practices, making incorrect privilege assignments less likely.

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.

blocks

A.5.15 directly mandates determining access requirements, defining/enforcing topic-specific access control policy, assigning rights/restrictions by entity/role, consistency with classification, need-to-know, privileged access restrictions, segregation, formal authorization, and dynamic rules — which stops most improper privilege management from being exploitable; bounded remainder is flawed implementation of those rules (e.g. incorrect mapping or enforcement bugs).

blocks

A.5.18 directly governs the provisioning, review, modification and timely revocation of access rights (including for role changes, termination and privilege levels), which stops most improper privilege spheres from being exploitable even if the assignment flaw exists; the bounded remainder is flaws in the underlying enforcement mechanism itself (e.g. AC-3/A.8.3)

blocks

Defining and communicating authorization levels for each role limits the assignment of excessive or unnecessary privileges.

A.8.15 Logging partial match
finds

Logging every use of privileges and protecting those records makes it harder for an attacker who has obtained elevated rights to operate without leaving evidence.

blocks

A.8.2 directly controls the identification, allocation, review, expiry, temporary use, and separation of privileged rights per policy, which prevents most improper privilege management (CWE-269) by design; the bounded remainder is flawed tracking/checking logic inside the product's own enforcement code (the AC-3 slice of 269).

blocks

A.8.27 mandates security-by-design principles including least privilege, default deny, fail securely, defence in depth, security architecture integration, hardening, and zero-trust verification of every request; these directly stop most improper privilege spheres from being exploitable even if the assignment flaw remains, with a bounded remainder (e.g. certain legacy or safety-overridden controls).

Hardening callouts derived

DISA STIG baselines are authored against specific weaknesses. Where this CVE cites a broad weakness class, the mapping is not asserted at that abstraction (owner ruling, 2026-09-25: grade only at Base and below), so no rule is shown here rather than a rule shown against the wrong grain.

References