CVE-2020-16955 : What You Need to Know

Microsoft Office Click-to-Run Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability was published on October 16, 2020, with a CVSS base score of 7.8.

Understanding CVE-2020-16955

An elevation of privilege vulnerability in Microsoft Office Click-to-Run (C2R) AppVLP allows attackers to elevate privileges by exploiting how certain files are handled.

What is CVE-2020-16955?

The vulnerability in Microsoft Office Click-to-Run (C2R) AppVLP enables attackers to elevate privileges by manipulating specific files.

The Impact of CVE-2020-16955

Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized privilege escalation within affected systems.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-16955

Microsoft Office Click-to-Run Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability affects multiple Microsoft Office versions.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from how Microsoft Office Click-to-Run (C2R) components process files.
Attackers can exploit this flaw by tricking users into opening malicious files.

Affected Systems and Versions

Microsoft Office 2013 Click-to-Run (C2R) versions less than 15.0.5571.1000 on 32-bit and x64-based systems.
Microsoft Office 2019 and Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise on both 32-bit and x64-based systems.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers need to persuade users to open specially crafted files to exploit the vulnerability.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take:

Apply the security update provided by Microsoft to address the vulnerability. Long-Term Security Practices:
Educate users on safe file handling practices to prevent exploitation.
Implement security measures to detect and block malicious files.
Regularly update Microsoft Office to patch known vulnerabilities.