CVE-2016-3225

HIGH EXPLOITED

Microsoft Windows SMB Server - Local Privilege Escalation via Authentication Request Forwarding

Title source: llm
STIX 2.1

Exploitation Summary

CVE-2016-3225 has been observed exploited in the wild (reported by VulnCheck KEV). EIP tracks 4 public exploits from researchers including Metasploit, FoxGloveSec, breenmachine, decoder, ohpe, phra, lupman, FoxGloveSec, breenmachine, Mumbai, including a Metasploit module exploits/windows/local/ms16_075_reflection_juicy.

AI-analyzed exploit summary This Metasploit module exploits CVE-2016-3225, a Windows privilege escalation vulnerability leveraging Net-NTLMv2 reflection via DCOM/RPC to achieve SYSTEM privileges. It uses reflective DLL injection to execute the exploit payload in a target process, requiring the SeImpersonatePrivilege.

Description

The SMB server component in Microsoft Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows 10 Gold and 1511 allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted application that forwards an authentication request to an unintended service, aka "Windows SMB Server Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability."

Exploits (4)

exploitdb WORKING POC VERIFIED
by Metasploit · rubylocalwindows
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45562

This Metasploit module exploits CVE-2016-3225, a Windows privilege escalation vulnerability leveraging Net-NTLMv2 reflection via DCOM/RPC to achieve SYSTEM privileges. It uses reflective DLL injection to execute the exploit payload in a target process, requiring the SeImpersonatePrivilege.

Classification
Working Poc 100%
Attack Type
Lpe
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Microsoft Windows (affected by MS16-075)
Auth required
Prerequisites: SeImpersonatePrivilege · Meterpreter session
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →
metasploit WORKING POC GREAT
by FoxGloveSec, breenmachine, decoder, ohpe, phra, lupman · rubypocwin
https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/windows/local/ms16_075_reflection_juicy.rb

This Metasploit module exploits CVE-2016-3225, a Windows Net-NTLMv2 reflection vulnerability in DCOM/RPC, to achieve SYSTEM-level privilege escalation. It uses reflective DLL injection to execute a payload in a spawned notepad.exe process, leveraging the SeImpersonatePrivilege.

Classification
Working Poc 100%
Attack Type
Lpe
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Windows (Server 2008 R2 to Windows 10 1803)
Auth required
Prerequisites: SeImpersonatePrivilege · Valid CLSID string · Meterpreter session
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 19, 2026 Full analysis →
metasploit WORKING POC NORMAL
by FoxGloveSec, breenmachine, Mumbai · rubypocwin
https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/windows/local/ms16_075_reflection.rb

This Metasploit module exploits CVE-2016-3225 by leveraging Net-NTLMv2 reflection between DCOM/RPC to achieve a SYSTEM handle for privilege escalation. It uses reflective DLL injection to execute the RottenPotato exploit, which abuses the SeImpersonatePrivilege to escalate privileges.

Classification
Working Poc 100%
Attack Type
Lpe
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Windows (x86/x64)
Auth required
Prerequisites: SeImpersonatePrivilege · Meterpreter session
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 19, 2026 Full analysis →
patchapalooza WRITEUP
by Ascotbe · local
https://github.com/Ascotbe/Kernelhub

This repository contains documentation and configuration scripts for a collection of Windows kernel exploits, including CVE-2003-0352, CVE-2006-3439, and others. It includes README files in both Chinese and English, as well as a Python script for generating documentation.

Classification
Writeup 90%
Attack Type
Other
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Theoretical
Target: Windows Kernel
No auth needed
Prerequisites: access to the target system · specific Windows versions affected by the listed CVEs
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 23, 2026 Full analysis →

References (3)

Core 3
Core References
Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry vdb-entry x_refsource_sectrack
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1036110
Exploit, Third Party Advisory exploit x_refsource_exploit-db
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45562/

Scores

CVSS v3 7.8
EPSS 0.2606
EPSS Percentile 96.4%
Attack Vector LOCAL
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Details

VulnCheck KEV 2018-06-01
CWE
CWE-264
Status published
Products (10)
microsoft/windows_10
microsoft/windows_10 1511
microsoft/windows_7
microsoft/windows_8.1
microsoft/windows_rt_8.1
microsoft/windows_server_2008
microsoft/windows_server_2008 r2 sp1
microsoft/windows_server_2012
microsoft/windows_server_2012 r2
microsoft/windows_vista
Published Jun 16, 2016
Tracked Since Feb 18, 2026