# CVE-2016-7266: Security feature bypass in n/a

> Attackers can execute arbitrary commands via crafted documents by bypassing Microsoft Excel's registry-based security checks.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 20 Dec 2016
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-f86h-p5cj-45cr

## What is CVE-2016-7266?

CVE-2016-7266 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Excel, published on 20 Dec 2016. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Microsoft Excel 2007 SP3, Excel 2010 SP2, Excel 2013 SP1, Excel 2013 RT SP1, Excel 2016, Office Compatibility Pack SP3, Excel Viewer, and Excel 2016 for Mac mishandle a registry check, which allows user-assisted remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via crafted embedded content in a document, aka "Microsoft Office Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability."

Weakness: CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-7266?

It affects 4 products.


Products: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Excel for Mac, Microsoft Excel Viewer, Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-7266?

No fix has been published for CVE-2016-7266 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2016-7266 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-7266 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Microsoft Excel

- [CVE-2019-1297](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-1297/): Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2009-0238](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-0238/): Microsoft Office Remote Code Execution (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2016-7262](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-7262/): Microsoft Office Security Feature Bypass (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2009-3129](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-3129/): Microsoft Excel Featheader Record Memory Corruption (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2008-0081](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-0081/): Code injection in n/a (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-7266 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-7266 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Excel, published on 20 Dec 2016. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-7266 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Microsoft Excel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-7266/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-7266/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-7266
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-7266
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-7266

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-7266/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.