Threats / Microsoft / CVE-2016-0151
CVE-2016-0151
· EUVD no mirror located
· GCVE no mirror located
Verified 2026-06-22
Microsoft Client-Server Run-time Subsystem (CSRSS) vulnerability
Microsoft CSRSS mismanages process tokens, allowing local users to gain elevated privileges through a crafted application.
Verdict
Today item, not a backlog item.
A local privilege escalation vulnerability in the Client-Server Run-time Subsystem enables attackers with user-level access to execute code with system privileges. Active exploitation and ransomware deployment have been observed.
01
Is it exploitable?
— the evidence, ranked above the scoreReported exploitation
1 independent public report of in-the-wild exploitation are cataloged.Distinct reporting sources (vendor, incident response, government); open them for the underlying claims.
Exploited in the wild
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2022-03-28), flagged for known ransomware use.
Probability (EPSS)
EPSS 0.63195 — modeled likelihood of exploitation activity.EPSS is a daily-changing model output — open the source for today's value.
Severity / affected
Affected: Microsoft, Client-Server Run-time Subsystem (CSRSS). Confirm exact fixed builds in the vendor advisory.
Weakness (CWE)
Mapped to CWE-264 Permissions/Privileges/Access Control — weakness family: Authorization / access control.CWE assignment from the public NVD record; the weakness class drives how the flaw is exploited.
02
Who’s exploiting it?
— attribution turns risk into urgencyAttribution not established
No confirmed (advisory-backed) threat-actor attribution is established for this record. Absence of a named actor is not absence of compromise — see Coverage & confidence.
03
Why it matters
— the attack path, told twice: adversary, then board1
Front door — unauthenticated access narrative 1
Attacker
I craft a malicious application that exploits token mismanagement in CSRSS to request elevated privileges.
Business
An attacker gains local code execution with system-level permissions on affected endpoints.
2
Keys to the kingdom — privilege/identity takeover narrative 2
Attacker
I execute my application on a compromised system where I already have user-level access.
Business
The vulnerability is triggered, bypassing Windows privilege boundaries and granting administrative control.
3
Lateral reach — past segmentation narrative 3
Attacker
I deploy ransomware or additional malicious payloads using the elevated privileges I have obtained.
Business
Critical systems become compromised, leading to data encryption, operational disruption, and potential financial extortion.
04
What to do
— defensible action- Remediate per the vendor advisory — confirm the fixed build for your version and verify exposure.1
Say it to the boardA vulnerability with this evidence profile is a defensible budget line, not a backlog ticket — fund the change against the proof above.
05