Microsoft Office Word & PowerPoint Memory Corruption Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2015-2424, MS15-070)
Executive & SecOps Summary
SECOPS ASSESSMENTMicrosoft Office 2007 SP3, 2010 SP2, 2013 SP1 (Word and PowerPoint)
Remote attackers can execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (DoS) via a crafted Office document
Apply the MS15-070 security update immediately and restrict opening untrusted Office documents
Affected Products & Version Scope
Remediation & Live Workaround Commands
PATCH & WORKAROUND1. Official Patch & Version Upgrade Commands
The primary remediation is to apply the MS15-070 security updates. You can force the installation of the required security patches using the following PowerShell commands:
# Install Windows Update module and apply MS15-070 related KBs
Install-Module PSWindowsUpdate -Force -Verbose
Get-WindowsUpdate -KBArticleID KB3080790, KB3054963, KB3054813 -AcceptAll -Install -AutoReboot2. Temporary Workaround & Hardening Configuration
If immediate patching is not feasible, enforce Protected View for files originating from the Internet or untrusted locations via the Windows Registry:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Force Protected View for Word and PowerPoint
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Word\Security\ProtectedView]
"DisableAttachementsInPV"=dword:00000000
"DisableInternetFilesInPV"=dword:00000000
"DisableUnsafeLocationsInPV"=dword:00000000
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Word\Security\ProtectedView]
"DisableAttachementsInPV"=dword:00000000
"DisableInternetFilesInPV"=dword:00000000
"DisableUnsafeLocationsInPV"=dword:000000003. Log Audit & IoC Verification Commands
Use the following PowerShell script to audit the installed Microsoft Office executable versions and identify vulnerable installations:
# Audit script to detect vulnerable Word/PowerPoint installations
$paths = @(
'C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14\WINWORD.EXE',
'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14\WINWORD.EXE',
'C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office15\WINWORD.EXE',
'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office15\WINWORD.EXE'
)
foreach ($path in $paths) {
if (Test-Path $path) {
$version = (Get-Item $path).VersionInfo.ProductVersion
Write-Host 'Found Office Executable:' $path 'Version:' $version
# Alert if the version is lower than the patched baseline
if ($version -lt '15.0.4745.1000') {
Write-Warning 'Vulnerable Office version detected! Please apply MS15-070 immediately.'
}
}
}Block Kernel Privilege Escalation & Ransomware Payloads Before You Can Reboot
Protect unpatched Windows, Linux, and macOS workloads against in-memory exploitation and lateral movement with autonomous EDR.
Technical Root Cause & Exploitation Mechanics
1. Vulnerability Overview & Root Cause
This vulnerability (CVE-2015-2424) is an Out-of-bounds Write (CWE-787) memory corruption vulnerability that occurs when Microsoft Office Word and PowerPoint parse specially crafted document files. The root cause lies in improper memory handling when processing document structures, allowing an attacker to corrupt the application's memory space and hijack the execution flow.
2. Exploitation Mechanics & Attack Scenario
An attacker crafts a malicious Office document containing corrupted OLE objects or malformed layout structures. This document is typically distributed via spear-phishing emails, drive-by downloads, or malicious links. When a victim opens the document using a vulnerable version of Word or PowerPoint, the application triggers a memory corruption event, executing the attacker's payload with the privileges of the current user.
3. Infrastructure & Business Impact
As this vulnerability is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, it has been actively exploited in the wild. Successful exploitation allows attackers to gain full control over the victim's endpoint, install unauthorized software, exfiltrate sensitive data, and potentially pivot laterally across the enterprise network, posing a severe threat to business continuity.
Official Vendor Advisories & References
Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 SP3, Word 2007 SP3, PowerPoint 2010 SP2, Word 2010 SP2, PowerPoint 2013 SP1, Word 2013 SP1, and PowerPoint 2013 RT SP1 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted Office document, aka "Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerability."
Frequently Asked SecOps Questions (CVE-2015-2424)
FAQQ1. How critical is CVE-2015-2424 and is it actively exploited in the wild?
CVE-2015-2424 is rated CVSS 8.8 (HIGH) with a 30-day EPSS exploitation probability of 40.1%. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, requiring immediate emergency remediation.
Q2. Which vendors and products are affected by CVE-2015-2424?
Primary impacted vendors include microsoft across powerpoint, word, office. Scope summary: Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 SP3, Word 2007 SP3, PowerPoint 2010 SP2, Word 2010 SP2, PowerPoint 2013 SP1, Word 2013 SP1, PowerPoint 2013 RT SP1
Q3. What temporary mitigations or workarounds exist for CVE-2015-2424 before patching?
[Mitigation] Apply the MS15-070 security update immediately and restrict opening untrusted Office documents Follow the CLI remediation commands and interactive SecOps checklist on this page to restrict exposure prior to your maintenance window.
Generate an Internal Engineering Notice or CISO Report for CVE-2015-2424
Instantly format this advisory into an executive CISO summary or engineering patch ticket.
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