CVEs / CVE-2016-0185
CVE-2016-0185: Microsoft Windows Media Center Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
- Known exploited in the CISA KEV catalog since 3 Nov 2021
- high 7.8 CVSS 3.1 (NVD)
- EPSS 69.8% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 99% of CVEs (30 Oct 2026)
- Last changed at its sources
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Summary
Microsoft Windows Media Center contains a remote code execution vulnerability when Windows Media Center opens a specially crafted Media Center link (.mcl) file that references malicious code.
Description
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."
Affected and fixed versions
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| n/a n/a | n/a | — |
Exploitation
| In CISA KEV since | 3 Nov 2021 |
|---|---|
| Due date for US federal agencies | 3 May 2022 |
| Used in ransomware campaigns | Unknown |
| Required action | Apply updates per vendor instructions. |
Severity
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 highCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HScored by NVD |
|---|
References
- CVE-2016-0185 on NVD
- CVE-2016-0185 in the CISA KEV catalog
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/90023 Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1035832 Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-16-277 Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-059 Patch, Vendor Advisory
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/39805/ Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2016-0185 US Government Resource
Sources
Exploitation status from the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. EPSS scores from FIRST. Descriptions, severity and references from the National Vulnerability Database. Open-source package versions from OSV (CC-BY 4.0). Text is shown as each source states it; Stackurity does not edit it. Check the vendor's advisory before acting.
This product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.