CVE-2020-16933 Microsoft Word Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability
An attacker can bypass security features in Microsoft Word by tricking a user into opening a specially crafted LNK file, potentially executing code with user privileges.
- 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
- None listed
What is CVE-2020-16933?
CVE-2020-16933 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft 365 Apps, published on 16 Oct 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
<p>A security feature bypass vulnerability exists in Microsoft Word software when it fails to properly handle .LNK files. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could use a specially crafted file to perform actions in the security context of the current user. For example, the file could then take actions on behalf of the logged-on user with the same permissions as the current user.</p> <p>To exploit the vulnerability, a user must open a specially crafted file with an affected version of Microsoft Word 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 that is designed to exploit the vulnerability. However, an attacker would have no way to force the user to visit the website. Instead, an attacker would have to convince the user to click a link, typically by way of an enticement in an email or Instant Messenger message, and then convince the user to open the specially crafted file.</p> <p>The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how Microsoft Word handles these files.</p>
Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-16933?
It affects 11 products.
Products include Microsoft 365 Apps, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Windows 10, Microsoft Windows 7, Microsoft Windows 8.1, Microsoft Windows Rt 8.1 and 5 more.
How do I fix CVE-2020-16933?
No fix has been published for CVE-2020-16933 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Is CVE-2020-16933 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-16933 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Microsoft 365 Apps
- CVE-2024-21413 Microsoft Outlook Improper Input Validation
- CVE-2023-23397 Microsoft Office Outlook Privilege Escalation
- CVE-2024-38189 Microsoft Project Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
- CVE-2023-35311 Microsoft Outlook Security Feature Bypass
- CVE-2026-21514 Microsoft Office Word Reliance on Untrusted Inputs in a Security Decision
Sources
Also known as GHSA-3fp4-rv66-mvj2.