Attacker Value
Unknown
(0 users assessed)
Exploitability
Unknown
(0 users assessed)
User Interaction
Required
Privileges Required
None
Attack Vector
Network
1

CVE-2020-16947

Disclosure Date: October 16, 2020
Add MITRE ATT&CK tactics and techniques that apply to this CVE.

Description

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.

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.

Note that where severity is indicated as Critical in the Affected Products table, the Preview Pane is an attack vector.

The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how Outlook handles objects in memory.

Add Assessment

No one has assessed this topic. Be the first to add your voice to the community.

CVSS V3 Severity and Metrics
Base Score:
7.5 High
Impact Score:
5.9
Exploitability Score:
1.6
Vector:
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Attack Vector (AV):
Network
Attack Complexity (AC):
High
Privileges Required (PR):
None
User Interaction (UI):
Required
Scope (S):
Unchanged
Confidentiality (C):
High
Integrity (I):
High
Availability (A):
High

General Information

Vendors

  • microsoft

Products

  • 365 apps -,
  • office 2019,
  • outlook 2016

References

Exploit
The following exploit POCs have not been verified by Rapid7 researchers, but are sourced from: nomi-sec/PoC-in-GitHub.
Additional sources will be added here as they become relevant.
Notes: We will only add the top 3 POCs for a given CVE. POCs added here must have at least 2 GitHub stars.

Additional Info

Technical Analysis