A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel 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 current user. If the current 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 Excel. 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) containing 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. The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how Microsoft Excel handles objects in memory.

The Microsoft Excel Products are missing security updates.
It is, therefore, affected by multiple vulnerabilities :

  - An information disclosure vulnerability exists when     Microsoft Excel improperly discloses the contents of its     memory. An attacker who exploited the vulnerability     could use the information to compromise the users     computer or data.  (CVE-2020-1497)

  - A remote code execution vulnerability exists in     Microsoft Excel 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 current user. If     the current 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.  (CVE-2020-1494, CVE-2020-1495,     CVE-2020-1496, CVE-2020-1498, CVE-2020-1504)

The Microsoft Office Products are missing security updates. It is, therefore, affected by multiple vulnerabilities :

  - A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel 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 current user. If the current 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. (CVE-2020-1494,     CVE-2020-1495, CVE-2020-1496)

  - An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Excel improperly discloses the contents of     its memory. An attacker who exploited the vulnerability could use the information to compromise the users     computer or data. (CVE-2020-1497)

  - 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 users     computer or data. (CVE-2020-1503, CVE-2020-1583)

  - A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office 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 current user. If the current 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. (CVE-2020-1563)

  - An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Office Click-to-Run (C2R)     components handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could     elevate privileges. The attacker would need to already have the ability to execute code on the system.
    (CVE-2020-1581)

ID	Name	Product	Family	Severity
162053	Security Updates for Microsoft Excel Products C2R (August 2020)	Nessus	Windows	high
162024	Security Updates for Microsoft Office Products C2R (August 2020)	Nessus	Windows	high
139499	Security Updates for Microsoft Office Products (August 2020)	Nessus	Windows : Microsoft Bulletins	high
139497	Security Updates for Microsoft Excel Products (August 2020)	Nessus	Windows : Microsoft Bulletins	high

Detections

Analytics

CVE-2020-1496

high

Tenable Plugins

high

high

high

high