CVE-2016-3282 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 2010 SP2, Word Automation Services on SharePoint Server 2013 SP1, SharePoint Server 2016, Office Web Apps 2010 SP2, Office Web Apps Server 2013 SP1, and Office Online Server 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 • 09/01/2022
This vulnerability represents a critical memory corruption flaw in Microsoft Office applications that affects multiple versions across different platforms and server environments. The issue stems from improper handling of specially crafted Office documents that trigger memory corruption during document processing, creating opportunities for remote code execution attacks. The vulnerability impacts a wide range of Microsoft Office products including Word 2007 through Word 2016, Office Compatibility Pack, Word Viewer, and various SharePoint Server implementations. This broad scope makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it affects both desktop and server-side Office processing capabilities, creating multiple attack vectors for threat actors.
The technical nature of this vulnerability falls under the category of memory corruption issues that are commonly classified as CWE-125, which represents "Out-of-bounds Read" conditions in software applications. The flaw occurs when Office applications process maliciously crafted documents that contain malformed data structures or oversized arrays that cause memory boundaries to be exceeded. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows attackers to manipulate memory layout and potentially execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running the affected Office application. The vulnerability is especially concerning in enterprise environments where Office documents are frequently shared and processed through various automation services.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple remote code execution to encompass significant security risks for enterprise networks and user systems. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to systems, escalate privileges, and potentially establish persistent backdoors within networks. The vulnerability's presence in SharePoint Automation Services means that web-based Office document processing becomes a potential attack surface, allowing remote exploitation through web interfaces. Additionally, the vulnerability affects Office Web Apps and Online Server implementations, making cloud-based Office processing environments particularly vulnerable to attacks that could compromise entire organizations. The attack vector typically involves social engineering campaigns where users are tricked into opening malicious documents, making this vulnerability particularly effective in phishing and targeted attack scenarios.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should encompass multiple layers of defense including immediate patch deployment for all affected Office versions, network segmentation to limit access to Office automation services, and user education to prevent opening suspicious documents. Organizations should implement strict document validation policies and consider deploying application whitelisting solutions to prevent execution of unauthorized Office processing components. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1203 "Exploitation for Client Execution" indicates that traditional endpoint protection measures may be insufficient, requiring enhanced monitoring of Office process execution and memory access patterns. Regular security assessments should focus on identifying and disabling unnecessary Office automation services, particularly in server environments where the vulnerability can be exploited through web-based interfaces. System administrators should also consider implementing network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability.