CVE-2020-1583 : Security Advisory and Response

Microsoft Word Information Disclosure Vulnerability was published on 2020-08-17 with a base severity of HIGH.

Understanding CVE-2020-1583

An information disclosure vulnerability exists in Microsoft Word, potentially allowing attackers to compromise user systems or data by improperly disclosing memory contents.

What is CVE-2020-1583?

Microsoft Word vulnerability exposes memory content, possibly leading to system compromise through specially crafted document files.

The Impact of CVE-2020-1583

Attackers could use disclosed information to compromise user systems or data.
Exploitation requires convincing users to open maliciously crafted document files.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-1583

The vulnerability is caused by Microsoft Word improperly disclosing memory content, potentially aiding attackers in compromising user systems.

Vulnerability Description

Attackers exploiting the vulnerability can compromise user systems or data.
Malicious documents can exploit memory disclosure to launch attacks.

Affected Systems and Versions

Microsoft Office products like SharePoint, Word, and Office Server across various versions are impacted.
Versions include SharePoint Server 2016, SharePoint Server 2013 Service Pack 1, 2019, Office 2019, Word 2016, and more.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers need to craft special document files and deceive users to open them.
Requires knowledge of memory address location where the object was created.

Mitigation and Prevention

Steps to mitigate and prevent exploitation of CVE-2020-1583:

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply the security update released by Microsoft to patch the vulnerability.
Exercise caution when opening document files from unknown or untrusted sources.

Long-Term Security Practices

Keep software and security patches up to date to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities.
Use additional security measures like antivirus software to enhance system protection.

Patching and Updates

Microsoft has addressed the vulnerability by changing the way Word functions handle memory objects.