CVE-2016-0140 in Office
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Office 2007 SP3, Office 2010 SP2, Word Automation Services on SharePoint Server 2010 SP2, and Office Web Apps 2010 SP2 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 • 08/18/2022
This vulnerability represents a critical memory corruption flaw in Microsoft Office applications that affects versions including Office 2007 SP3, Office 2010 SP2, Word Automation Services on SharePoint Server 2010 SP2, and Office Web Apps 2010 SP2. The vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation and memory handling within the Office document processing engine, specifically when parsing malformed Office documents. Attackers can craft malicious Office files that trigger buffer overflows or other memory corruption conditions during document rendering or processing, leading to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the current user.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through carefully constructed Office documents that contain malformed data structures or oversized elements that exceed the allocated memory buffers within Office's parsing routines. When these documents are opened or processed by the affected applications, the memory corruption allows attackers to overwrite critical memory locations and inject malicious code that executes within the context of the Office application process. This type of vulnerability is classified as a memory safety error and maps to CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow scenarios.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, as it provides attackers with a foothold for further compromise within targeted environments. Since Office applications often run with elevated privileges, successful exploitation can lead to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, or lateral movement within network environments. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in enterprise settings where Office documents are frequently shared and opened, making it an attractive target for advanced persistent threats. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability corresponds to T1059.005 for command and scripting interpreter and T1203 for Exploitation for Client Execution, demonstrating how attackers can leverage such flaws to establish persistent access.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant Microsoft security updates and patches that address the memory corruption issues in the affected Office versions. Network segmentation and email filtering should be enhanced to prevent delivery of potentially malicious Office documents. Additionally, implementing application control measures such as AppLocker or similar technologies can help restrict execution of untrusted Office documents. Regular security awareness training should emphasize the dangers of opening unknown Office attachments, and system monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual Office process behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date software patches and demonstrates how legacy Office installations remain attractive targets for attackers seeking to exploit known memory corruption vulnerabilities in widely used productivity applications.