CVE-2016-0185

microsoft windows 7, microsoft windows 8.1, microsoft windows vista

Published 11 May 2016 · updated 17 Jun 2026 · Analyzed

7.8 High · CVSS 3.1, NVD

Exploited in the wild

CISA added this to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 3 Nov 2021, with a remediation deadline of 3 May 2022 for US federal agencies.

Required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.

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."

References

www.securityfocus.com/bid/90023 · Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
www.securitytracker.com/id/1035832 · Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-16-277 · Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-059 · Patch, Vendor Advisory
www.exploit-db.com/exploits/39805/ · Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2016-0185 · US Government Resource