CVE-2016-3357 in Office
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Office 2007 SP3, Office 2010 SP2, Office 2013 SP1, Office 2013 RT SP1, Office 2016, Word for Mac 2011, Word 2016 for Mac, Word Viewer, Word Automation Services on SharePoint Server 2010 SP2, SharePoint Server 2013 SP1, Excel Automation Services on SharePoint Server 2013 SP1, Word Automation Services on SharePoint Server 2013 SP1, Office Web Apps 2010 SP2, and Office Web Apps Server 2013 SP1 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted document, aka "Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/08/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical memory corruption flaw in Microsoft Office applications that affects multiple versions across different platforms and server environments. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of specially crafted documents that trigger memory corruption during document processing, allowing remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The flaw specifically impacts Microsoft Office 2007 SP3, Office 2010 SP2, Office 2013 SP1, Office 2013 RT SP1, Office 2016, Word for Mac 2011, Word 2016 for Mac, Word Viewer, and various SharePoint Server automation services. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-125 as an out-of-bounds read condition, where the application fails to properly validate input data structures during document parsing. This allows attackers to craft malicious documents that, when opened by an affected Office application, can cause memory corruption and potentially lead to remote code execution. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it can be delivered through email attachments, web downloads, or SharePoint documents, making it highly exploitable in enterprise environments where Office applications are commonly used.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond individual system compromise to affect entire enterprise networks due to the widespread adoption of Microsoft Office applications. When exploited, the vulnerability can enable attackers to gain unauthorized access to systems, escalate privileges, and potentially establish persistent backdoors. The attack surface includes not only end-user workstations but also server environments running SharePoint Automation Services, making it a significant concern for organizations with document automation workflows. The vulnerability's exploitation typically involves crafting a malicious document that contains malformed data structures designed to trigger buffer overflows or other memory corruption conditions within the Office application's processing engine. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in targeted attacks where threat actors can leverage social engineering techniques to deliver malicious documents to unsuspecting users, often through phishing campaigns that exploit the trust users place in Office applications.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying Microsoft security updates, configuring application whitelisting policies, and implementing email filtering solutions to prevent delivery of potentially malicious documents. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1203 as "Exploitation for Client Execution" and T1059 as "Command and Scripting Interpreter," highlighting the post-exploitation capabilities available to attackers who successfully compromise systems. Network segmentation and endpoint protection solutions should be deployed to monitor for suspicious document processing activities, while administrators should consider disabling unnecessary Office features such as macro execution and automatic document opening. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches across all Office applications and server environments, as the attack surface spans multiple Microsoft products and platforms. Organizations should also implement security awareness training to reduce the risk of successful social engineering attacks that leverage this vulnerability, as user behavior remains a critical factor in successful exploitation attempts. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar memory corruption vulnerabilities in other software applications within the enterprise environment.