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Findings

CVE-2016-7262

Microsoft Office Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability

Published Dec 19, 2016 · corrected/updated Jun 16, 2026 · microsoft excel · evidence confidence very high

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."

Grounded briefings

Catalog interpretations for three audiences. Each brief cites ingested metadata and the original advisories below. They are not independent research and they do not invent exploit steps.

Executive

CVE-2016-7262 is a high public vulnerability record for microsoft excel. CISA lists it as known exploited. Published remediation guidance: Apply updates per vendor instructions. This summary is a catalog interpretation of the ingested metadata and cites the original advisories below.

System administrator

Identify whether microsoft excel is in your estate, then compare installed versions with the affected ranges. Affected packages or ranges on record: microsoft/excel (2007); microsoft/excel (2010); microsoft/excel (2013); microsoft/excel (2016). Published remediation guidance: Apply updates per vendor instructions. Prefer the vendor or distribution advisory linked in Sources before changing production systems. This is a catalog interpretation, not a runbook.

Security analyst

Signals on file: CVSS 7.8, EPSS 57.7%. CISA lists it as known exploited. Weakness classes: CWE-20. Sources contributing to this record: cisa_kev, cve_org, epss, nvd. Public exploit references, when present, are outbound links only and are not proof of active exploitation. This is a catalog interpretation of stored metadata.

Exploitation and remediation

  • Exploitation evidence

    Confirmed in CISA KEV since Mar 3, 2022. Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

  • Patch and remediation

    Apply updates per vendor instructions. CISA due date Mar 24, 2022.

  • Safe detection guidance

    Compare installed versions with the affected ranges below and verify the advisory from the original publisher. This site stores metadata and outbound links only; it does not ship exploit code or proof-of-concept payloads.

Code

The project this record applies to. Exploit listings stay in References.

No public source repository is identified for this product.

Timeline

Detection, updates, and resolution for this record.

  1. Dec 19, 2016 · Catalog

    Detected

    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."

  2. Mar 3, 2022 · CISA KEV

    Known exploited

    Apply updates per vendor instructions.

  3. Mar 24, 2022 · CISA KEV

    Remediation due

    Apply updates per vendor instructions.

  4. Jun 16, 2026 · Catalog

    Updated

    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."

Affected

  • cpe microsoft/excel2007
  • cpe microsoft/excel2010
  • cpe microsoft/excel2013
  • cpe microsoft/excel2016
  • cpe microsoft/excel viewerversion unspecified
  • cpe microsoft/office compatibility packversion unspecified
  • vendor Microsoft Excelversion unspecified

Sources

  • CISA KEVConfirmed exploitationCVE-2016-7262

    A security feature bypass vulnerability exists when Microsoft Office improperly handles input. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute arbitrary commands.

    cisa.gov
  • CVE.orgVulnerability recordCVE-2016-7262

    Official CVE identifier

    cve.org
  • FIRST EPSSExploitation probabilityCVE-2016-7262

    30-day exploitation probability 57.7%

    first.org
  • NIST NVDVulnerability recordCVE-2016-7262

    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 Se

    nvd.nist.gov

References