CVE-2016-0055 in Office
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Office 2007 SP3 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted Office document, aka "Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/07/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-0055 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Microsoft Office 2007 Service Pack 3 that enables remote code execution through maliciously crafted Office documents. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 vulnerability class, which encompasses out-of-bounds read conditions that can lead to memory corruption and arbitrary code execution. The flaw specifically affects Microsoft Office 2007 SP3 and represents a significant security risk that has been catalogued in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the technique of exploitation for execution. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of malformed data structures within Office document parsing routines, particularly when processing specific Office file formats such as .doc, .xls, or .ppt files.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a buffer over-read condition that occurs when Microsoft Office attempts to parse corrupted or malformed Office documents. When an attacker crafts a document containing maliciously structured data, the Office application's parsing engine fails to properly validate input boundaries, leading to memory corruption that can be exploited to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the victim user. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be delivered through various attack vectors including email attachments, web downloads, or malicious websites. The exploitation mechanism typically involves crafting a document that triggers a specific parsing path within the Office application, causing the memory corruption that allows attackers to inject and execute malicious code.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-0055 is severe and far-reaching, as it provides attackers with a pathway to compromise systems running Microsoft Office 2007 SP3 without requiring any special privileges or user interaction beyond opening the malicious document. This vulnerability has been widely exploited in the wild, particularly in targeted attacks against enterprise environments where Office 2007 installations remain prevalent. The attack surface is extensive given the widespread adoption of Office 2007 across organizations, making this vulnerability particularly attractive to threat actors seeking persistent access to network environments. Organizations that have not updated to newer Office versions or applied the relevant security patches remain highly vulnerable to this attack vector.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-0055 should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems with Microsoft's security updates, which address the underlying memory corruption issue in Office 2007 SP3. Security administrators should implement additional protective measures including email filtering solutions that can detect and block malicious Office documents, disable macro execution in Office applications, and deploy application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of untrusted Office files. Network-based protections such as intrusion detection systems and web application firewalls can help identify and block attempts to deliver malicious Office documents. Organizations should also consider implementing security awareness training to reduce the likelihood of users opening suspicious attachments and establish robust incident response procedures to quickly address any potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification as a remote code execution flaw makes layered defense strategies essential for comprehensive protection against this threat.