CVE-2016-0052 in Office
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Word 2007 SP3, Office 2010 SP2, Word 2010 SP2, Word 2013 SP1, Word 2013 RT SP1, Word 2016, Word for Mac 2011, Word 2016 for Mac, Office Compatibility Pack SP3, Word Viewer, Word Automation Services on SharePoint Server 2013 SP1, Office Web Apps Server 2013 SP1, and SharePoint Server 2013 SP1 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted Office document, aka "Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerability," a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-0022.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/07/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-0052 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Microsoft Office applications that affects multiple versions including Word 2007 through Word 2016 across various platforms. This vulnerability falls under the category of heap-based buffer overflow conditions as classified by CWE-122, where improper memory management allows attackers to manipulate memory structures and potentially execute malicious code. The flaw specifically impacts the way Microsoft Word processes certain Office document formats, creating opportunities for remote code execution when users open maliciously crafted documents. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects both desktop and server versions of Microsoft Office applications, including Word Automation Services on SharePoint Server 2013 and Office Web Apps Server 2013, extending the attack surface significantly.
Technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when Office applications encounter specially crafted Office documents containing malformed data structures that trigger memory corruption during document parsing operations. The flaw typically manifests through improper bounds checking in memory allocation routines, where attackers can manipulate the application's memory layout to overwrite critical data structures or execute arbitrary code within the application's memory space. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 - Exploitation for Client Execution, where adversaries leverage application vulnerabilities to execute code on targeted systems. The memory corruption aspect makes this particularly dangerous because it can lead to privilege escalation scenarios, especially when the vulnerable applications run with elevated privileges or when users have administrative rights on their systems.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-0052 extends beyond simple remote code execution to encompass broader security implications for enterprise environments. Organizations using affected Office versions face significant risk of compromise through spear-phishing campaigns, where attackers distribute malicious documents through email attachments or web-based delivery mechanisms. The vulnerability's presence across multiple Office versions and platforms means that security teams must implement comprehensive patch management strategies across their entire Microsoft Office ecosystem. The attack vector primarily relies on social engineering techniques to trick users into opening malicious documents, making user education and awareness programs critical components of defense strategies. Additionally, the vulnerability's impact on SharePoint Server environments means that organizations running Office Web Apps Server or Word Automation Services are particularly vulnerable to lateral movement attacks and data exfiltration attempts.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-0052 should encompass both immediate defensive measures and long-term security improvements. Microsoft released security updates addressing this vulnerability through regular patch management procedures, with the most effective solution being the immediate installation of the relevant security patches. Organizations should implement document validation policies that restrict the opening of Office documents from untrusted sources, including email attachments and web downloads. Network-based defenses such as email filtering solutions and web proxies can help prevent initial delivery of malicious documents to end users. Security monitoring should focus on detecting unusual Office application behavior, particularly when users open documents from external sources or when applications attempt to access unusual network resources. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security baselines and implementing principle of least privilege configurations to limit potential damage from successful exploitation attempts.