Microsoft Security Bulletin MS16-099 - Critical

• 10/11/2017
• 12 minutes to read
• • 

Security Update for Microsoft Office (3177451)

Published: August 9, 2016 | Updated: August 22, 2016

Version: 2.0

Executive Summary

This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office. The most severe of the vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted Microsoft Office file. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerabilities could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Customers whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than those who operate with administrative user rights.

For more information, see the Affected Software and Vulnerability Severity Ratings section.

The security update addresses the vulnerabilities by correcting how affected versions of Office and Office components handle objects in memory. For more information about the vulnerabilities, see the Vulnerability Information section.

For more information about this update, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 3177451. 

Affected Software and Vulnerability Severity Ratings

The following software versions or editions are affected. Versions or editions that are not listed are either past their support life cycle or are not affected. To determine the support life cycle for your software version or edition, see Microsoft Support Lifecycle.

The following severity ratings assume the potential maximum impact of the vulnerability. For information regarding the likelihood, within 30 days of this security bulletin's release, of the exploitability of the vulnerability in relation to its severity rating and security impact, please see the Exploitability Index in the August bulletin summary. 

Microsoft Office Software

*The Updates Replaced column shows only the latest update in a chain of superseded updates. For a comprehensive list of updates replaced, go to the Microsoft Update Catalog, search for the update number, and then view update details (updates replaced information is on the Package Details tab).

Update FAQ

Does this release contain any additional security-related changes to functionality?
Yes. In addition to the security updates that address the vulnerabilities described in this bulletin, Microsoft is releasing the following updates to add a security feature enhancement that provides additional information to users when Outlook makes a network connection through a proxy server.

I have Microsoft Word 2010 installed. Why am I not being offered the 3115468 update?
The 3115468 update only applies to systems running specific configurations of Microsoft Office 2010. Some configurations will not be offered the update.

I am being offered this update for software that is not specifically indicated as being affected in the Affected Software and Vulnerability Severity Ratings table. Why am I being offered this update?
When updates address vulnerable code that exists in a component that is shared between multiple Microsoft Office products or shared between multiple versions of the same Microsoft Office product, the update is considered to be applicable to all supported products and versions that contain the vulnerable component.

For example, when an update applies to Microsoft Office 2007 products, only Microsoft Office 2007 may be specifically listed in the Affected Software table. However, the update could apply to Microsoft Word 2007, Microsoft Excel 2007, Microsoft Visio 2007, Microsoft Compatibility Pack, Microsoft Excel Viewer, or any other Microsoft Office 2007 product that is not specifically listed in the Affected Software table. Furthermore, when an update applies to Microsoft Office 2010 products, only Microsoft Office 2010 may be specifically listed in the Affected Software table. However, the update could apply to Microsoft Word 2010, Microsoft Excel 2010, Microsoft Visio 2010, Microsoft Visio Viewer, or any other Microsoft Office 2010 product that is not specifically listed in the Affected Software table.

For more information on this behavior and recommended actions, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 830335. For a list of Microsoft Office products that an update may apply to, refer to the Microsoft Knowledge Base Article associated with the specific update.

Vulnerability Information

Microsoft OneNote Information Disclosure Vulnerability – CVE-2016-3315

An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft OneNote improperly discloses its memory contents. 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 create a specially crafted OneNote file and convince a victim to open it. For an attack to be successful, the attacker must know the specific location of OneNote objects in memory.

The update addresses the vulnerability by changing the way certain OneNote functions handle objects in memory. The following table contains links to the standard entry for each vulnerability in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list: