What is CVE-2016-0046?

CVE-2016-0046 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 10, classified under Improper Input Validation. CVSS score: 7.8/10. Published 2016-02-10.

How severe is CVE-2016-0046?

High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 7.8 out of 10.

Improper input validation in Microsoft Windows 10

CVE-2016-0046

Windows Reader in Microsoft Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, and Windows 10 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted Reader file, aka "Microsoft Windows Reader Vulnerability."

Vulnerability class: Drupalgeddon 2 (CVE-2018-7600)

Published 2016-02-10 · last modified 2026-06-17.

CVSS v3 metric

CVSS v3 base score 7.8 (High). Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.

EPSS exploit prediction

EPSS: 0.262 (97.9th percentile), scored 2026-09-28.

Moderate probability of exploitation in the next 30 days — watch for active exploitation reports. 98th percentile — 97.9% of CVEs in the catalogue have a lower EPSS than this one. How to read EPSS.

EPSS over last 30 days · oldest: 0.259 · newest: 0.262 · change: +0.003

Affected products

Microsoft Windows 10
Microsoft Windows 8.1
Microsoft Windows Server 2012 — versions r2

Weakness classification (CWE)

CWE-20 — Improper Input Validation

References

www.securitytracker.com/id/1034973 (VDB Entry, Third Party Advisory, vdb-entry)
docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-012 (vendor-advisory, Patch, Vendor Advisory)
www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-16-156 (VDB Entry, Third Party Advisory)

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-0046?: CVE-2016-0046 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 10, classified under Improper Input Validation. CVSS score: 7.8/10. Published 2016-02-10.
How severe is CVE-2016-0046?: High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 7.8 out of 10.