CVE-2016-0139 in Excel 2010 SP2
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Excel 2010 SP2, Word for Mac 2011, and Excel Viewer allow 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 • 07/13/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-0139 represents a critical memory corruption flaw affecting multiple Microsoft Office applications including Excel 2010 SP2, Word for Mac 2011, and Excel Viewer. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 weakness category, specifically addressing out-of-bounds read conditions that occur when applications fail to properly validate memory access during document processing operations. The flaw manifests when these Office applications handle maliciously crafted Office documents, creating opportunities for remote code execution attacks that can compromise entire systems.
The technical exploitation of CVE-2016-0139 occurs through carefully constructed Office documents that trigger memory corruption during parsing operations. When these malformed documents are opened or even previewed by vulnerable applications, the memory management routines fail to properly validate buffer boundaries, leading to memory corruption that attackers can leverage to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the targeted user. This vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be delivered through various attack vectors including email attachments, malicious websites, or compromised documents shared via collaboration platforms. The flaw is particularly dangerous because it requires minimal user interaction beyond opening the malicious document, making it a prime target for social engineering campaigns.
From an operational impact perspective, CVE-2016-0139 presents significant risks to enterprise environments where Office documents are frequently exchanged and processed. The vulnerability can lead to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, and persistence mechanisms being established within target networks. Organizations using affected Office versions face potential lateral movement opportunities for attackers who gain initial access through this vulnerability, as the executed code can establish backdoors, download additional malware, or communicate with command and control servers. The attack surface is extensive given the widespread adoption of Microsoft Office across business environments and the typical user behavior of opening email attachments without scrutiny. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) and T1078 (Valid Accounts) as attackers can leverage the executed code to maintain persistent access and execute additional malicious commands.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-0139 should include immediate deployment of Microsoft security patches and updates, particularly the cumulative security update released in February 2016. Organizations should implement email filtering solutions to detect and block suspicious Office document attachments, while also establishing robust document sanitization procedures for incoming files. Network segmentation and application whitelisting can help limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. Security awareness training programs should emphasize the dangers of opening unexpected Office documents, particularly those received via email or downloaded from untrusted sources. Additionally, monitoring for unusual network connections or process creation patterns can help detect exploitation attempts, while regular vulnerability assessments should identify any remaining systems running unsupported Office versions that may still be vulnerable to this and similar memory corruption vulnerabilities.