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CVE-2020-1483

Microsoft Outlook Memory Corruption Vulnerability

5.0 Medium

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Outlook when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability 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 the vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted file with an affected version of Microsoft Outlook software. In an email attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability 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 designed to exploit the vulnerability. 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 message, and then convince them to open the specially crafted file. Note that where severity is indicated as Critical in the Affected Products table, the Preview Pane is an attack vector. The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how Outlook handles objects in memory.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges needed
Low
User interaction
Required

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

Exploit likelihood

8.84%Up 0.9 points since Apr 14, 2021
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

CVE List Score used 5.0

Microsoft Outlook Memory Corruption Vulnerability

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Outlook when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability 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 the vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted file with an affected version of Microsoft Outlook software. In an email attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability 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 designed to exploit the vulnerability. 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 message, and then convince them to open the specially crafted file. Note that where severity is indicated as Critical in the Affected Products table, the Preview Pane is an attack vector. The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how Outlook handles objects in memory.

Record
CVE-2020-1483
CVSS 3.1
5.0 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N/E:P/RL:O/RC:C
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-12357 5.0

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Outlook when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability 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 the vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted file with an affected version of Microsoft Outlook software. In an email attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability 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 designed to exploit the vulnerability. 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 message, and then convince them to open the specially crafted file. Note that where severity is indicated as Critical in the Affected Products table, the Preview Pane is an attack vector. The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how Outlook handles objects in memory.

Record
EUVD-2020-12357
CVSS 3.1
5.0 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N/E:P/RL:O/RC:C
Updated
2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-2c4m-3h92-jwwp 5.0

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Outlook when the software fails to...

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Outlook when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory, aka 'Microsoft Outlook Memory Corruption Vulnerability'.

Record
GHSA-2c4m-3h92-jwwp
CVSS 3.1
5.0 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Weakness
CWE-119, CWE-787
Updated
2026-11-02
NVD 5.0

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Outlook when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability 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 the vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted file with an affected version of Microsoft Outlook software. In an email attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability 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 designed to exploit the vulnerability. 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 message, and then convince them to open the specially crafted file. Note that where severity is indicated as Critical in the Affected Products table, the Preview Pane is an attack vector. The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how Outlook handles objects in memory.

Record
CVE-2020-1483
CVSS 3.1
5.0 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
CVSS 3.1
8.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS 2.0
9.3 HighAV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Weakness
CWE-787
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
aliasesEUVD
first indexedCVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2020-1483 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.0) in Microsoft Outlook, published August 17, 2020. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 8.84%, the 95th percentile. No source names a fixed version.

References

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