CVE-2016-3235

KEVMicrosoft Office OLE DLL Side Loading Vulnerability

Description

Microsoft Office Object Linking & Embedding (OLE) dynamic link library (DLL) contains a side loading vulnerability due to it improperly validating input before loading libraries. Successful exploitation allows for remote code execution.

Microsoft Visio 2007 SP3, Visio 2010 SP2, Visio 2013 SP1, Visio 2016, Visio Viewer 2007 SP3, and Visio Viewer 2010 mishandle library loading, which allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted application, aka "Microsoft Office OLE DLL Side Loading Vulnerability."

CVSS 3.1 vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

PublishedJun 16, 2016

Last modifiedJun 17, 2026

Added to KEVNov 3, 2021

Remediation dueMay 3, 2022

References

packetstormsecurity.com/files/137490/Microsoft-Visio-DLL-Hijacking.htmlThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2016/Jun/32Broken LinkMailing List
securityfocus.com/archive/1/538685/100/0/threadedBroken LinkThird Party Advisory
securitytracker.com/id/1036093Broken LinkThird Party Advisory
docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2016/ms16-070PatchVendor Advisory
securify.nl/advisory/SFY20150804/microsoft_visio_multiple_dll_side_loading_vulnerabilities.htmlExploitThird Party Advisory
cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2016-3235US Government Resource

0 recent articles mention this CVE

Risk assessment · High

Actively exploited. Patch immediately.

Exploitation: Confirmed in the wild (CISA KEV)
Federal remediation deadline: Overdue by 1638 days
CVSS: 7.8 HIGH
EPSS (30-day exploit probability): 43.3% · top 1% of all CVEs
Weakness: NVD-CWE-noinfo

Recommended actions

1.Apply updates per vendor instructions.
2.Treat as emergency change: patch or isolate internet-facing instances first.
3.Hunt for compromise: review logs for the disclosure window, not just from the patch date.

Assessment is derived automatically from the live signals above; verify against your own asset inventory.