CVE-2020-16933

Microsoft Word Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability

HIGH
7
CVSS Score
Published: October 16, 2020 at 10:17 PM UTC
Updated: June 17, 2026 at 02:58 AM UTC
13 products affected across 1 vendorWindows Server 2016Windows Server 2019Windows Server 2012

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Severity
HIGH7
Exploit prediction
EPSS 3%
SSVC
No known exploit

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>

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

16.0.1 ≤ v < https://aka.ms/OfficeSecurityReleases16.0.1
Affected range stops below https://aka.ms/OfficeSecurityReleases, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

Remediation

No guide yet

No remediation guidance has been written for this CVE yet. What the record does show:

SSVC — Action Prioritization

SSVCNo known exploitNot automatableTotal impact

SSVC signals action urgency (what to patch first), separate from CVSS which measures severity.

CVSS

7HIGHmicrosoft
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusMODIFIED
CWE
NVD-CWE-noinfo

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