The Web Proxy Auto Discovery (WPAD) protocol implementation 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, Windows 10 Gold and 1511, and Internet Explorer 9 through 11 has an improper fallback mechanism, which allows remote attackers to gain privileges via NetBIOS name responses, aka "WPAD Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability."
This vulnerability carries a HIGH severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 8.8, indicating it can be exploited remotely over the network 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 8 products from microsoft, from microsoft, from microsoft and 5 others, organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.
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.
2016-06-16T01:59:17.713
2025-04-12T10:46:40.837
Deferred
CVSSv3.0: 8.8 (HIGH)
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
8.6
10.0
| Type | Vendor | Product | Version/Range | Vulnerable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application | microsoft | internet_explorer | 9 | Yes |
| Application | microsoft | internet_explorer | 10 | Yes |
| Application | microsoft | internet_explorer | 11 | Yes |
| Operating System | microsoft | windows_10 | - | Yes |
| Operating System | microsoft | windows_10 | 1511 | Yes |
| Operating System | microsoft | windows_7 | * | Yes |
| Operating System | microsoft | windows_8.1 | * | Yes |
| Operating System | microsoft | windows_rt_8.1 | * | Yes |
| Operating System | microsoft | windows_server_2008 | * | Yes |
| Operating System | microsoft | windows_server_2008 | r2 | Yes |
| Operating System | microsoft | windows_server_2012 | - | Yes |
| Operating System | microsoft | windows_server_2012 | r2 | Yes |
| Operating System | microsoft | windows_vista | * | Yes |
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.