CVE-2016-7291 in Office
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Word 2007 SP3, Office 2010 SP2, Word 2010 SP2, Office Compatibility Pack SP3, Word for Mac 2011, Word Automation Services on SharePoint Server 2010 SP2, and Office Web Apps 2010 SP2 allow remote attackers to obtain sensitive information from process memory or cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds read) via a crafted document, aka "Microsoft Office Information Disclosure Vulnerability," a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-7290.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/08/2022
This vulnerability represents a critical information disclosure flaw affecting multiple Microsoft Office versions including Word 2007 SP3, Office 2010 SP2, Word 2010 SP2, Office Compatibility Pack SP3, Word for Mac 2011, Word Automation Services on SharePoint Server 2010 SP2, and Office Web Apps 2010 SP2. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation within the Microsoft Office document parsing engine, specifically when processing maliciously crafted Word documents. Attackers can exploit this weakness by embedding specially constructed data structures within Word documents that trigger out-of-bounds memory reads during document processing. The flaw manifests as an out-of-bounds read operation that allows remote attackers to access process memory contents, potentially exposing sensitive information such as encryption keys, passwords, or other confidential data stored in memory. This vulnerability is classified as a CWE-125 Out-of-bounds Read, which is a common class of memory safety issues that occurs when software reads data beyond the boundaries of allocated memory buffers. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it requires no user interaction beyond opening a malicious document, making it a prime candidate for phishing campaigns and targeted attacks. The vulnerability impacts the core document processing functionality of Microsoft Office applications, which are widely deployed across enterprise environments, potentially affecting thousands of systems. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability enables attackers to perform reconnaissance activities by extracting sensitive information from memory, which could then be used to conduct more sophisticated attacks. The out-of-bounds read behavior can also cause applications to crash or become unstable, resulting in denial of service conditions that disrupt business operations. The vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework would place it within the Information Gathering tactic, specifically targeting the Credential Access and Defense Evasion sub-techniques, as attackers can use the information disclosure to escalate privileges or evade detection. Microsoft addressed this vulnerability through security updates that improved input validation and memory handling within the Office document parsing components, requiring organizations to apply patches promptly to mitigate the risk. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust input validation in document processing software, as the attack exploits the difference between expected and actual document structures. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management strategies, deploy application whitelisting solutions, and monitor for suspicious document opening activities to protect against exploitation attempts. The impact extends beyond individual user systems to enterprise environments where Office applications are extensively used, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for organizations with strict compliance requirements and sensitive data handling practices.