CVE-2018-8160 in Office
Summary
by MITRE
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in Outlook when a message is opened, aka "Microsoft Outlook Information Disclosure Vulnerability." This affects Word, Microsoft Office.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/11/2023
The CVE-2018-8160 vulnerability represents a critical information disclosure flaw within Microsoft Outlook and Word applications that manifests when users open maliciously crafted email messages. This vulnerability falls under the category of information disclosure attacks as defined by CWE-200, where sensitive data is exposed to unauthorized parties through improper access controls or inadequate validation mechanisms. The flaw specifically targets the email parsing and rendering processes within Microsoft Office applications, creating a pathway for attackers to potentially extract confidential information from the victim's system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits weaknesses in how Outlook and Word handle certain message formats during the opening process. When a user opens a specially crafted email message containing malicious content, the applications fail to properly validate or sanitize the message structure, leading to unintended information exposure. This type of vulnerability typically resides in the application's message handling components and represents a failure in input validation and secure parsing practices. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of Microsoft Office products and demonstrates the complexity of securing email clients against sophisticated attack vectors that leverage message format manipulation.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-8160 extends beyond simple information disclosure, potentially enabling more advanced attack scenarios such as privilege escalation or further system compromise. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to gain access to sensitive data including but not limited to email contents, user credentials, system information, and potentially other confidential documents stored within the Office environment. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059 which involves executing malicious code through legitimate system processes, and T1005 which focuses on data from local systems. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that email remains one of the primary attack vectors in enterprise environments, making this vulnerability highly exploitable in targeted campaigns.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-8160 should encompass multiple defensive layers including immediate application of Microsoft security patches and updates, implementation of email filtering solutions, and enhanced user awareness training. Organizations should deploy robust email security appliances that can detect and block suspicious message formats before they reach end-user inboxes. Network segmentation and access control measures can help limit the potential impact if exploitation occurs. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches as outlined in NIST cybersecurity guidelines and aligns with the principle of defense in depth as specified in ISO/IEC 27001 standards. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other Office applications and ensure comprehensive protection against information disclosure threats.