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. 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. The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how Microsoft Word handles these files.

The Microsoft Word Products are missing a security update.
It is, therefore, affected by the following vulnerability :

  - 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.  (CVE-2020-16933)

The Microsoft Office product installed on the remote host is missing security updates. It is, therefore, affected by multiple vulnerabilities:

  - A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Base3D rendering engine handles memory. An attacker     who successfully exploited the vulnerability would gain execution on a victim system. (CVE-2020-16918)

  - 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. (CVE-2020-16929)

  - 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. (CVE-2020-16933)

Note that Nessus has not tested for this issue but has instead relied only on the application's self-reported version number.

ID	Name	Product	Family	Severity
162120	Security Updates for Microsoft Word Products C2R (October 2020)	Nessus	Windows	high
141470	Security Updates for Microsoft Office (October 2020) (macOS)	Nessus	MacOS X Local Security Checks	high
141415	Security Updates for Microsoft Word Products (October 2020)	Nessus	Windows : Microsoft Bulletins	high

Detections

Analytics

CVE-2020-16933

high

Tenable Plugins

high

high

high