CVE-2016-0185: Microsoft Windows Media Center Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Reference page built from the source records below, each shown as its source publishes it. Dataset version ref-1123b01091dc, updated 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z.
CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities
- Name
- Microsoft Windows Media Center Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Windows
- Added to the catalog
- 2021-11-03
- Due date for US federal agencies
- 2022-05-03
- Weaknesses
- CWE-20
- Catalog version
- 2026.10.30
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.
Required action (CISA)
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Ransomware use: CISA does not mark known use of this vulnerability in ransomware campaigns.
Links in CISA's notes
Read on 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z under licence cisa-kev-cc0@b0067899 from https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json
NVD analysis
- Status
- Analyzed
- Published
- 2016-05-11T01:59:26.097
- Last modified
- 2026-06-17T00:37:04.663
- Weaknesses
- NVD-CWE-noinfo
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."
| Metric | Score | Severity | Vector | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H | [email protected] (Primary) |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 (Secondary) |
| CVSS 2.0 | 9.3 | HIGH | AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C | [email protected] (Primary) |
References
- 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)
- 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)
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.
Read on 2026-11-02T23:41:35.381Z under licence nvd-api-terms-of-use@ff2a5288 from https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?cveId=CVE-2016-0185
CVE record
- Assigner
- microsoft
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Published
- 2016-05-11T01:00:00.000Z
- Updated
- 2025-10-21T23:55:52.588Z
- Problem types
- n/a
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
Read on 2026-11-03T00:33:18.583Z under licence cve-terms-of-use@81bfa2f3 from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/main/cves/2016/0xxx/CVE-2016-0185.json
Sources and licences
CISA
Source: CISA Catalog of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities, version 2026.10.30, CC0 1.0. Use of this data does not imply endorsement by CISA or DHS.
National Vulnerability Database (NIST)
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.
NVD API Terms of Use (NIST publications in the public domain, 17 U.S.C. 105)
CVE Program, The MITRE Corporation
Copyright © 1999-2026, The MITRE Corporation. CVE is a trademark and the CVE logo is a registered trademark of The MITRE Corporation. CVE Usage: MITRE hereby grants you a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE™). Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy.
Cite this page
Dragons Eye Ransomware Tracker, "CVE-2016-0185: Microsoft Windows Media Center Remote Code Execution Vulnerability",
entity page, dataset version ref-1123b01091dc, updated 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/cve/CVE-2016-0185 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: CISA Catalog of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities, version 2026.10.30.
Underlying source: National Vulnerability Database (NIST), CVE API 2.0, record last modified 2026-06-17T00:37:04.663.
Underlying source: CVE List (CVE Program, The MITRE Corporation), record updated 2025-10-21T23:55:52.588Z.
Pages change. The dataset version identifies the data, but no archive of old versions is kept, so this citation cannot be replayed later.