# CVE-2016-7254: Privilege escalation in n/a

> Remote authenticated users can gain elevated privileges in Microsoft SQL Server due to improper pointer casting.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 10 Nov 2016
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-79h6-4qjr-x9rg

## What is CVE-2016-7254?

CVE-2016-7254 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Sql Server, published on 10 Nov 2016. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Microsoft SQL Server 2012 SP2 and 2012 SP3 does not properly perform a cast of an unspecified pointer, which allows remote authenticated users to gain privileges via unknown vectors, aka "SQL RDBMS Engine Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability."

Weakness: CWE-264

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-7254?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Microsoft Sql Server.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-7254?

No fix has been published for CVE-2016-7254 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2016-7254 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-7254 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Microsoft Sql Server

- [CVE-2020-0618](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-0618/): Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2019-1068](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-1068/): Microsoft SQL Server Remote Code Execution (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2018-8273](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-8273/): Memory corruption in Microsoft SQL Server (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2008-5416](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-5416/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.0)
- [CVE-2023-21705](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-21705/): Microsoft SQL Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-7254 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-7254 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Sql Server, published on 10 Nov 2016. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-7254 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Microsoft Sql Server. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-7254/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-7254/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-7254
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-7254
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-7254

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-7254/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.