CVE-2016-0041: Windows and IE DLL loading flaw allows local privilege escalation

Automated analysis

Generated by VULONE's analysis model from the NVD record, CISA KEV and EPSS data on 18 September 2026. Confidence: medium.

high priorityLocal privilege escalation with full system impact and a very high EPSS score, though no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation is recorded.

What it is

Microsoft Windows and Internet Explorer mishandle DLL loading, letting a local user load a crafted DLL and gain elevated privileges. The flaw spans many Windows versions and IE 10/11, so any unpatched host running those builds is exposed to a local attacker.

Impact

An attacker who can run code on the machine gains full control of the affected system, including confidentiality, integrity and availability of all data and processes.

Attack surface

Reached locally by running a crafted application on the target host; the CVSS vector shows local access, low privileges and no user interaction, so no remote or authenticated network path is required.

Exploitation

Not listed in CISA KEV and no reference carries an exploit tag, but EPSS is very high (0.829, 99.7th percentile), indicating strong likelihood of exploitation activity.

What to do

• Apply the Microsoft security updates MS16-009 and MS16-014 to all affected Windows and Internet Explorer builds.
• Retire or isolate unsupported platforms such as Windows Vista SP2 and Windows Server 2008 SP2 that cannot be patched.
• Restrict local interactive logon and application execution rights to trusted users to reduce the pool of potential local attackers.
• Enable Safe DLL search mode and audit DLL search paths for writable directories that could host a planted DLL.

Detection

• Monitor for unexpected DLLs loaded from user-writable paths by privileged processes.
• Alert on process creation where a low-privilege user launches binaries that subsequently load DLLs from non-standard directories.
• Audit Windows event logs for privilege escalation or token elevation anomalies on affected hosts.
• Track patch state of MS16-009 and MS16-014 across the estate and flag unpatched endpoints.

This assessment is produced automatically and is not human-reviewed. Verify against the vendor advisory before acting on it.