CVE-2020-16931: A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who…

PriorityP344high7.8CVSS 3.1

AVLACLPRNUIRSUCHIHAH

EPSS

4.82%

91.0th percentile

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user. If the current user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker could take control of the affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights. Exploitation of the vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted file with an affected version of Microsoft Excel. In an email attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending the specially crafted file to the user and convincing the user to open the file. In a web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a website (or leverage a compromised website that accepts or hosts user-provided content) containing a specially crafted file designed to exploit the vulnerability. An attacker would have no way to force users to visit the website. Instead, an attacker would have to convince users to click a link, typically by way of an enticement in an email or instant message, and then convince them to open the specially crafted file. The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how Microsoft Excel handles objects in memory.

Affected

23 ranges

Vendor	Product	Version range	Fixed in
microsoft	excel	—	—
microsoft	excel	—	—
microsoft	excel	—	—
microsoft	microsoft_365_apps_for_enterprise	>= 16.0.1 < https://aka.ms/OfficeSecurityReleases	https://aka.ms/OfficeSecurityReleases
microsoft	microsoft_excel_2010_service_pack_2	>= 13.0.0.0 < publication	publication
microsoft	microsoft_excel_2013_service_pack_1	>= 15.0.0.0 < publication	publication
microsoft	microsoft_excel_2016	>= 16.0.0.0 < publication	publication
microsoft	microsoft_office_2019	>= 19.0.0 < https://aka.ms/OfficeSecurityReleases	https://aka.ms/OfficeSecurityReleases
microsoft	microsoft_office_online_server	>= 16.0.1 < publication	publication
microsoft	microsoft_office_web_apps_2013_service_pack_1	>= 15.0.0.0 < publication	publication
microsoft	office	—	—
microsoft	office_online_server	—	—
microsoft	office_web_apps	—	—
msrc	microsoft_365_apps_for_enterprise_for_32-bit_systems	—	—
msrc	microsoft_365_apps_for_enterprise_for_64-bit_systems	—	—
msrc	microsoft_excel_2010_service_pack_2	—	—
msrc	microsoft_excel_2013_rt_service_pack_1	—	—
msrc	microsoft_excel_2013_service_pack_1	—	—
msrc	microsoft_excel_2016	—	—
msrc	microsoft_office_2019_for_32-bit_editions	—	—
msrc	microsoft_office_2019_for_64-bit_editions	—	—
msrc	microsoft_office_online_server	—	—
msrc	microsoft_office_web_apps_2013_service_pack_1	—	—

CVSS provenance

nvdv3.17.8HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

nvdv2.06.8MEDIUMAV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

vendor_msrc7.8HIGH

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