Vulnerability Monitor

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CVE-2016-0185

Media Center in Microsoft Windows Vista SP2, Windows 7 SP1, and Windows 8.1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted Media Center link (aka .mcl) file, aka "Windows Media Center Remote Code Execution Vulnerability."

Security Impact Summary

This vulnerability carries a HIGH severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.8, requiring local system access to exploit with relatively low complexity though user interaction is required and does not require pre-existing privileges . The vulnerability impacts confidentiality (data exposure), integrity (unauthorized modifications), and availability (service disruption) for affected systems. Impacting 3 products from microsoft, from microsoft, from microsoft organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.

Historical Context

First disclosed in 2016, this vulnerability was reported during a period defined by widespread IoT adoption challenges, mobile security concerns, and the emergence of advanced persistent threat (APT) techniques. Contemporary mitigation strategies focused on secure development practices and third-party component vetting.

Published

2016-05-11T01:59:26.097

Last Modified

2025-10-22T00:15:47.547

Status

Deferred

Source

[email protected]

Severity

CVSSv3.1: 7.8 (HIGH)

CVSSv2 Vector

AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Access Vector: NETWORK
Access Complexity: MEDIUM
Authentication: NONE
Confidentiality Impact: COMPLETE
Integrity Impact: COMPLETE
Availability Impact: COMPLETE

Exploitability Score

8.6

Impact Score

10.0

Weaknesses

Type: Primary
NVD-CWE-noinfo

Affected Vendors & Products

Type	Vendor	Product	Version/Range	Vulnerable?
Operating System	microsoft	windows_7	-	Yes
Operating System	microsoft	windows_8.1	-	Yes
Operating System	microsoft	windows_vista	-	Yes

References

http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/90023 Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry ([email protected])
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1035832 Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry ([email protected])
http://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-16-277 Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry ([email protected])
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-059 Patch, Vendor Advisory ([email protected])
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/39805/ Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry ([email protected])
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/90023 Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1035832 Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
http://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-16-277 Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-059 Patch, Vendor Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/39805/ Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2016-0185 (134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0)

How SecUtils Interprets This CVE

SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For microsoft's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.