CVE-2015-0016 Microsoft Windows: file path flaw
In plain words: The program can be tricked into reading or writing files outside the folder it should stay in. Leaks files such as passwords and settings, or overwrites important ones.
Confirmed exploited by CISA on · US federal patch deadline Jun 15, 2022
What to do
- Install Microsoft's security update for Windows. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships.
- Patch edge devices first — attackers often start scanning for them within hours of a fix.
- Never expose the device's admin page to the internet.
- After patching a device that was exposed, follow the vendor's compromise checks, end active sessions and change passwords.
Who is affected
Work IT. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.
What's at risk: They face the internet and guard the whole network, so a flaw here can hand attackers a way in — and these devices usually run no antivirus, so break-ins go unnoticed.
The details
- Official name
- Microsoft Windows TS WebProxy Directory Traversal Vulnerability
- Product
- Microsoft Windows
- CISA description
- Directory traversal vulnerability in the TS WebProxy (TSWbPrxy) component in Microsoft Windows allows remote attackers to escalate privileges.
- Type of flaw
- File path flaw (CWE-22)
- Confirmed exploited
- May 25, 2022
- US federal patch deadline
- Jun 15, 2022
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Answering about CVE-2015-0016 ·
Questions about CVE-2015-0016
Is CVE-2015-0016 being exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2015-0016 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on May 25, 2022, which means there is reliable evidence of real-world attacks.
How do I fix CVE-2015-0016?
Install Microsoft's security update for Windows. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships. Patch edge devices first — attackers often start scanning for them within hours of a fix.
Am I affected by CVE-2015-0016?
Only if you use Microsoft Windows. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.