<p>A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel 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 current user. If the current 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 Excel. 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) containing 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>The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how Microsoft Excel handles objects in memory.</p>
Published 2020-10-16 23:15:15
Updated 2023-12-31 20:15:54
View at NVD,   CVE.org
Vulnerability category: Execute code

Products affected by CVE-2020-16929

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2020-16929

1.59%
Probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days EPSS Score History
~ 88 %
Percentile, the proportion of vulnerabilities that are scored at or less

CVSS scores for CVE-2020-16929

Base Score Base Severity CVSS Vector Exploitability Score Impact Score Score Source First Seen
6.8
MEDIUM AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
8.6
6.4
NIST
7.8
HIGH CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
1.8
5.9
NIST
7.8
HIGH CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
1.8
5.9
Microsoft Corporation

CWE ids for CVE-2020-16929

  • The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.
    Assigned by: nvd@nist.gov (Primary)

References for CVE-2020-16929

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