Executive Risk Summary
"A local elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the Windows kernel-mode driver, allowing an attacker to gain elevated privileges via a crafted application. This vulnerability affects various Windows versions, including Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows Server 2008, 2012, and 2016."
Anticipated Attack Path
- 1. Initial exploitation of the vulnerability
- 2. Elevation of privileges to kernel mode
- 3. Execution of arbitrary code
Am I Vulnerable?
- Verify the presence of the vulnerability in the Windows kernel-mode driver
- Check for any suspicious activity related to the win32k.sys driver
- Monitor system logs for potential exploitation attempts
Operational Audit Arsenal
Target Type Driver
Target Asset win32k.sys
Standard Path C:\Windows\System32\drivers\win32k.sys
PowerShell
# 🛠️ Senior Engineer Universal Audit
# Target: win32k.sys (Driver)
$Targets = 'win32k.sys'
$SearchPaths = @("$env:windir\System32", "$env:ProgramFiles", "${env:ProgramFiles(x86)}")
Get-ChildItem -Path $SearchPaths -Include $Targets -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
Select-Object FullName, @{Name="Version";Expression={$_.VersionInfo.ProductVersion}}Patch Impact Forecast
Reboot Required Likely
System restart required, potential disruption to running applications and services
Internal Work Notes
CVE-2016-7255: Windows kernel-mode driver elevation of privilege vulnerability, patching required to prevent potential system compromise.
Technical Intelligence & Operational Utilities • Delivered Weekly
Intelligence Sources
Official Advisoryhttp://blog.trendmicro.com/trendlabs-security-intelligence/one-bit-rule-system-analyzing-cve-2016-7255-exploit-wild/
Official Advisoryhttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/140468/Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-win32k.sys-NtSetWindowLongPtr-Privilege-Escalation.html
Official Advisoryhttp://www.securityfocus.com/bid/94064
Official Advisoryhttp://www.securitytracker.com/id/1037251
MSRC Advisoryhttps://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-135
Official Advisoryhttps://github.com/mwrlabs/CVE-2016-7255
Official Advisoryhttps://securingtomorrow.mcafee.com/mcafee-labs/digging-windows-kernel-privilege-escalation-vulnerability-cve-2016-7255/
Official Advisoryhttps://security.googleblog.com/2016/10/disclosing-vulnerabilities-to-protect.html
Official Advisoryhttps://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40745/
Official Advisoryhttps://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40823/
Official Advisoryhttps://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/41015/
Official Advisoryhttp://blog.trendmicro.com/trendlabs-security-intelligence/one-bit-rule-system-analyzing-cve-2016-7255-exploit-wild/
Official Advisoryhttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/140468/Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-win32k.sys-NtSetWindowLongPtr-Privilege-Escalation.html
Official Advisoryhttp://www.securityfocus.com/bid/94064
Official Advisoryhttp://www.securitytracker.com/id/1037251
MSRC Advisoryhttps://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-135
Official Advisoryhttps://github.com/mwrlabs/CVE-2016-7255
Official Advisoryhttps://securingtomorrow.mcafee.com/mcafee-labs/digging-windows-kernel-privilege-escalation-vulnerability-cve-2016-7255/
Official Advisoryhttps://security.googleblog.com/2016/10/disclosing-vulnerabilities-to-protect.html
Official Advisoryhttps://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40745/
Official Advisoryhttps://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40823/
Official Advisoryhttps://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/41015/
Official Advisoryhttps://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2016-7255
Related Microsoft Threats
Data compiled from NVD, MSRC, and CISA KEV Catalog. Intelligence synthesized via AI. Scripts provided for diagnostic purposes under MIT License.