CVE-2016-7266
7.8 · HIGHOverview
CVE-2016-7266 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting microsoft excel. It was published on December 20, 2016 and has a CVSS 3.0 base score of 7.8 (HIGH).
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.0 base score of 7.8, rated HIGH. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.
Technical Description
Microsoft Excel 2007 SP3, Excel 2010 SP2, Excel 2013 SP1, Excel 2013 RT SP1, Excel 2016, Office Compatibility Pack SP3, Excel Viewer, and Excel 2016 for Mac mishandle a registry check, which allows user-assisted remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via crafted embedded content in a document, aka "Microsoft Office Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability."
Remediation
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from microsoft. Update excel to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
|---|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2016-7266?
CVE-2016-7266 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting microsoft excel. It was published on December 20, 2016 and has a CVSS 3.0 base score of 7.8 (HIGH).
How severe is CVE-2016-7266?
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.0 base score of 7.8, rated HIGH. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.
How do I fix or remediate CVE-2016-7266?
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from microsoft. Update excel to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2016-7266?
CyberStrike's AI-powered security agents can automatically detect CVE-2016-7266 across your infrastructure using autonomous pentesting, DAST scanning, and HackBrowser. The platform continuously monitors for known vulnerabilities and provides actionable remediation guidance prioritized by real-world exploitability.
How CyberStrike Helps
AI agents map your attack surface to find vulnerabilities like this one.
Automated penetration testing that runs continuously, not just quarterly.
AI-driven PR review catches vulnerable dependencies before they ship.
Browser-based exploitation validates findings with real proof-of-concept.
Related HIGH CVEs from 2016
View all →Buffer overflow in IBM i Access 7.1 on Windows allows local users to gain privileges via unspecified
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Lotus Mashups in IBM Mashup Center 3.0.0.1 allows
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in HP StoreOnce Backup system software before 3.13.1
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Lifecycle Query Engine (LQE) in IBM Jazz Reportin
Microsoft Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, and Windows 10 Gold
The Chakra JavaScript engine in Microsoft Edge allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via
Microsoft Silverlight 5 before 5.1.41212.0 mishandles negative offsets during decoding, which allows
Adobe Reader and Acrobat before 11.0.14, Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Classic before 15.006.30119,
Use-after-free vulnerability in the Doc object implementation in Adobe Reader and Acrobat before 11.
Use-after-free vulnerability in AGM.dll in Adobe Reader and Acrobat before 11.0.14, Acrobat and Acro
Double free vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat before 11.0.14, Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC
Adobe Reader and Acrobat before 11.0.14, Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Classic before 15.006.30119,