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CVE-2020-16947

HIGHCVSS 7.5/10EPSS 33.55%

Last modified

CVE-2020-16947 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 7.5/10 on the CVSS scale. <p>A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Outlook software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the targeted user. EPSS estimates a 33.55% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

<p>A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Outlook software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the targeted user. If the targeted user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker could take control of the affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.</p> <p>Exploitation of the vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted file with an affected version of Microsoft Outlook software. In an email attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending the specially crafted file to the user and convincing the user to open the file. In a web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a website (or leverage a compromised website that accepts or hosts user-provided content) that contains a specially crafted file designed to exploit the vulnerability. An attacker would have no way to force users to visit the website. Instead, an attacker would have to convince users to click a link, typically by way of an enticement in an email or instant message, and then convince them to open the specially crafted file.</p> <p>Note that where severity is indicated as Critical in the Affected Products table, the Preview Pane is an attack vector.</p> <p>The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how Outlook handles objects in memory.</p>

Metrics

CVSS 3.1
7.5/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Probability
33.55%

98.2th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

VendorProductVersions
Microsoft365 AppsAll versions
MicrosoftOffice2019
MicrosoftOutlook2016

References

Timeline

Published
Last Modified
Status
Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-16947?
<p>A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Outlook software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the targeted user. If the targeted user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker could take control of the affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.</p> <p>Exploitation of the vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted file with an affected version of Microsoft Outlook software. In an email attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending the specially crafted file to the user and convincing the user to open the file. In a web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a website (or leverage a compromised website that accepts or hosts user-provided content) that contains a specially crafted file designed to exploit the vulnerability. An attacker would have no way to force users to visit the website. Instead, an attacker would have to convince users to click a link, typically by way of an enticement in an email or instant message, and then convince them to open the specially crafted file.</p> <p>Note that where severity is indicated as Critical in the Affected Products table, the Preview Pane is an attack vector.</p> <p>The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how Outlook handles objects in memory.</p>
How severe is CVE-2020-16947?
CVE-2020-16947 has a CVSS score of 7.5/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 33.55% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2020-16947?
Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

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Source: NVD / NIST