# CVE-2020-1503: Microsoft Word Information Disclosure Vulnerability

> An attacker can disclose memory contents via a crafted document, potentially aiding further compromise of the user's computer or data.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **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:** 17 Aug 2020
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-vfx9-2vhh-x45q

## What is CVE-2020-1503?

CVE-2020-1503 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Microsoft 365 Apps, published on 17 Aug 2020. 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

An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Word improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who exploited the vulnerability could use the information to compromise the user’s computer or data.
To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker could craft a special document file and then convince the user to open it. An attacker must know the memory address location where the object was created.
The update addresses the vulnerability by changing the way certain Word functions handle objects in memory.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-1503?

It affects 7 products.


Products: Microsoft 365 Apps, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Office Online Server, Microsoft Office Web Apps, Microsoft Sharepoint Enterprise Server, Microsoft Sharepoint Server, Microsoft Word.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-1503?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-1503 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-1503 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-1503 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Microsoft 365 Apps

- [CVE-2024-21413](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-21413/): Microsoft Outlook Improper Input Validation (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2023-23397](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-23397/): Microsoft Office Outlook Privilege Escalation (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-38189](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38189/): Microsoft Project Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2023-35311](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-35311/): Microsoft Outlook Security Feature Bypass (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-21514](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-21514/): Microsoft Office Word Reliance on Untrusted Inputs in a Security Decision (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-1503 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-1503 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Microsoft 365 Apps, published on 17 Aug 2020. 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-2020-1503 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Microsoft 365 Apps. 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-2020-1503/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-1503/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-1503
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-1503
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-1503

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-1503/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.