#VU46457 Buffer overflow in Visual Studio - CVE-2020-16856

Vulnerability identifier: #VU46457

Vulnerability risk: High

CVSSv4.0: 6.1 [CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/U:Amber]

CVE-ID: CVE-2020-16856

CWE-ID: CWE-119

Exploitation vector: Network

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
Visual Studio
Universal components / Libraries / Software for developers

Vendor: Microsoft

Description

The vulnerability allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the target system.

The vulnerability exists due to a boundary error in Visual Studio. A remote attacker can create a specially crafted file, trick the victim into opening it, trigger memory corruption and execute arbitrary code on the target system.

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability may result in complete compromise of vulnerable system.

Mitigation
Install update from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

Visual Studio: 15.9, 16.0.0 16.0.28729.10, 16.4.0 16.4.29519.181, 2012 Update 4, 2013 Update 5, 2015 Update 3

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External links
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2020-16856

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Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

Yes. This vulnerability can be exploited by a remote non-authenticated attacker via the Internet.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

No. We are not aware of malware exploiting this vulnerability.