CVE-2016-7262: Technical Deep-Dive (Auto Refreshed)

Generated on 2026-04-02T23:13:10.633Z. This file is automatically regenerated every 30 minutes by the CVE AI enrichment job using web sources (NVD, MITRE, CISA KEV, GitHub).

Executive Technical Summary

Microsoft Excel 2007 SP3, Excel 2010 SP2, Excel 2013 SP1, Excel 2013 RT SP1, Excel 2016, Office Compatibility Pack SP3, and Excel Viewer allow user-assisted remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via a crafted cell that is mishandled upon a click, aka "Microsoft Office Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability."

• Context preserved from previous revision: Microsoft Excel 2007 SP3, Excel 2010 SP2, Excel 2013 SP1, Excel 2013 RT SP1, Excel 2016, Office Compatibility Pack SP3, and Excel Viewer allow user-assisted remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via a crafted cell that is mishandled upon a click, aka "Microsoft Office Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability." 1. Use only isolated environments and systems you own or are explicitly authorized to test.

Technical Details

• CVE: CVE-2016-7262
• KEV date added: 2022-03-03
• KEV due date: 2022-03-24
• NVD published: 2016-12-20
• NVD modified: 2025-10-22
• MITRE modified: 2025-10-21
• CVSS base score: 7.8
• CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
• CVSS exploitability score: 1.8
• CVSS impact score: 5.9
• Attack vector: Local
• Attack complexity: Low
• Privileges required: None
• User interaction: Required
• Scope: Unchanged
• Confidentiality impact: High
• Integrity impact: High
• Availability impact: High

Versions and Products Impacted

• microsoft / excel (versions: 2007)
• microsoft / excel (versions: 2010)
• microsoft / excel (versions: 2013)
• microsoft / excel (versions: 2016)
• microsoft / excel viewer
• microsoft / office compatibility pack
• n/a / n/a (versions: n/a)

Weakness Classification

• NVD-CWE-noinfo
• CWE-noinfo Not enough information

Repositories for Lab Validation (Public Examples)

• Ostorlab/KEV | stars: 608 | updated: 2026-03-23 | https://github.com/Ostorlab/KEV
  Notes: Ostorlab KEV: One-command to detect most remotely known exploitable vulnerabilities. Sourced from CISA KEV, Google's Tsunami, Ostorlab's Asteroid and Bug Bounty programs.
• AncientMystic/HomeLab | stars: 1 | updated: 2026-03-22 | https://github.com/AncientMystic/HomeLab
  Notes: HomeLab CheatSheet & AwesomeList

People and Organizations Mentioned

• microsoft
• Excel
• Ostorlab
• AncientMystic

Practical Defensive Validation (Authorized Only)

1. Use only isolated environments and systems you own or are explicitly authorized to test.
2. Snapshot infrastructure before validation and preserve baseline logs (EDR, SIEM, OS, app).
3. Inventory microsoft / excel (versions: 2007) assets and confirm exact vulnerable versions with automated checks.
4. Patch in staged environments and validate closure with scanners + service health checks.
5. Map detections to MITRE ATT&CK tactics relevant to your environment and tune alert quality.

References

• NVD record: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-7262
• MITRE CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-7262
• CISA KEV Catalog: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog
• CISA KEV JSON feed: https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json
• KEV notes: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-7262
• http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/94660
• http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1037441
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-148
• https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2016-7262
• Repository example: https://github.com/Ostorlab/KEV
• Repository example: https://github.com/AncientMystic/HomeLab

This content is for defensive security training and authorized validation only.