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AUSCERT External Security Bulletin Redistribution
ESB-2015.3066
Microsoft Security Bulletin MS15-131 Security Update for Microsoft Office
to Address Remote Code Execution - Critical (3116111)
9 December 2015
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AusCERT Security Bulletin Summary
---------------------------------
Product: Microsoft Office
Publisher: Microsoft
Operating System: Mac OS
Windows
Impact/Access: Execute Arbitrary Code/Commands -- Remote with User Interaction
Resolution: Patch/Upgrade
CVE Names: CVE-2015-6177 CVE-2015-6172 CVE-2015-6124
CVE-2015-6122 CVE-2015-6118 CVE-2015-6040
Original Bulletin:
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/security/MS15-131
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Microsoft Security Bulletin MS15-131 Security Update for Microsoft Office to
Address Remote Code Execution - Critical (3116111)
Document Metadata
Bulletin Number: MS15-131
Bulletin Title: Security Update for Microsoft Office to Address Remote Code
Execution
Severity: Critical
KB Article: 3116111
Version: 1.0
Published Date: December 8, 2015
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 section.
Affected Software
Microsoft Office 2007
Microsoft Office 2010
Microsoft Office 2013
Microsoft Office 2016
Microsoft Office 2013 RT
Microsoft Office for Mac 2011
Microsoft Office 2016 for Mac
Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack Service Pack 3
Microsoft Excel Viewer
Vulnerability Information
Multiple Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerabilities
Multiple remote code execution vulnerabilities exist in Microsoft Office
software when the Office software fails to properly handle objects in memory.
An attacker who successfully exploited these vulnerabilities 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 these vulnerabilities requires that a user open a specially
crafted file with an affected version of Microsoft Office software. In an
email attack scenario an attacker could exploit the vulnerabilities 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
vulnerabilities. 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 Messenger message,
and then convince them to open the specially crafted file.
The security update addresses the vulnerabilities by correcting how Office
handles objects in memory.
The following tables contain links to the standard entry for each
vulnerability in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list:
Vulnerability title CVE number Publicly disclosed Exploited
Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerability CVE-2015-6040 No No
Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerability CVE-2015-6118 No No
Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerability CVE-2015-6122 No No
Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerability CVE-2015-6124 No Yes
Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerability CVE-2015-6177 No No
Microsoft Office RCE Vulnerability CVE-2015-6172
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Outlook
parses specially crafted email messages. An attacker who successfully
exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code as the logged-on user
and take complete 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.
To exploit the vulnerability, the user must open or preview a specially
crafted email message with an affected version of Microsoft Outlook. In an
email attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending
a specially crafted email message to the user and then convincing the user to
preview or open the email.
Workstations and terminal servers on which Microsoft Outlook is install are at
risk of this vulnerability. Servers could be more at risk if administrators
allow users to log on to them to run programs. However, best practices
strongly discourage allowing this. The update addresses the vulnerability by
correcting how Microsoft Outlook parses specially crafted malicious email
messages.
Microsoft received information about this vulnerability through coordinated
vulnerability disclosure. At the time this security bulletin was originally
issued, Microsoft was unaware of any attack attempting to exploit this
vulnerability.
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