CVE-2016-0151
HIGHCVE-2016-0151 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.8) Improper Privilege Management vulnerability in microsoft windows 8.1. It is in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2022-03-28) and has been used in ransomware campaigns — treat it as actively exploited and patch now. O3 Security detects and blocks CVE-2016-0151 exploitation at runtime via eBPF exploit-chain detection and L7 egress monitoring, even on unpatched systems.
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…
Exploitation Status
Actively exploited in the wild
- Confirmed by CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2022-03-28 — including use in ransomware campaigns. Federal agencies were required to remediate by 2022-04-18.
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA (KEV catalog and SSVC triage) for CVE-2016-0151.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2016-0151 plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE sits: patch-first territory.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 368,770 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the 50–90% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Description
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 CSRSS Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability."
Affected Products
windows 8.1microsoftwindows 10 1507microsoftwindows 10 1511microsoftwindows rt 8.1microsoftwindows server 2012microsoftResearch use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Microsoft Windows - CSRSS BaseSrvCheckVDM Session 0 Process Creation Privilege Escalation (MS16-048)
by Google Security Research · Apr 27, 2016
Detection & mitigation playbook
Vendor / applianceDetect
Inventory every microsoft windows 8.1 deployment and check each version against the affected-products list above. Because the exploit targets the running system rather than your application code, also watch for exploitation at the network and runtime layer — O3 flags the exploit behaviour from runtime telemetry and egress traffic even before a vulnerable build is confirmed.
Remediation status
No patch has shipped for CVE-2016-0151 yet — track the microsoft windows 8.1 advisory for a fixed release and apply the workarounds below in the meantime.
Mitigate without a patch
Cut exposure now: restrict the management/admin interface to trusted networks, segment the device, and apply the vendor's recommended configuration mitigations and any WAF/IPS signature. O3's runtime protection blocks the exploit chain at execution, holding the line on unpatched or end-of-life systems until you can patch.
How O3 protects you
O3 detects and blocks CVE-2016-0151 exploitation at runtime: eBPF exploit-chain detection, plus L7 egress monitoring that catches the post-exploitation callback and severs the attacker's outbound channel.
Tailored to CVE-2016-0151. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2016-0151 being exploited in your environment?
O3's eBPF runtime sensors and L7 egress monitoring detect and block the CVE-2016-0151 exploit chain at execution — protecting unpatched and end-of-life systems until the vendor patch is applied.