Microsoft Office Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2017-0262) Security Advisory
Executive & SecOps Summary
SECOPS ASSESSMENTMicrosoft Office 2010 SP2, Office 2013 SP1, and Office 2016
Remote attackers can execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user by tricking them into opening a document containing a malicious EPS file
Apply official Microsoft security patches immediately, or disable the EPS filter via registry modification
Affected Products & Version Scope
Remediation & Live Workaround Commands
PATCH & WORKAROUND1. Official Patch & Version Upgrade Commands
Deploy the official security updates provided by Microsoft. In enterprise environments, deploy the patches via WSUS or SCCM. For individual systems, you can force Windows Update to retrieve and install the security updates using the following PowerShell commands:
# Install Windows Update module and force install Microsoft Office security updates
Install-Module PSWindowsUpdate -Force -Verbose
Get-WindowsUpdate -MicrosoftUpdate -Category 'Security Updates' -AcceptAll -Install2. Temporary Workaround & Hardening Configuration
If patching cannot be applied immediately, disable the EPS filter in Microsoft Office by modifying the registry. Run the following commands in an elevated Command Prompt (Admin) to mitigate the threat:
:: Disable EPS filter execution for Office 2016, 2013, and 2010
reg add 'HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\Security\AllowPostScript' /v 'AllowPostScript' /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg add 'HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Office\Common\Security\AllowPostScript' /v 'AllowPostScript' /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f3. Log Audit & IoC Verification Commands
Use the following PowerShell script to verify whether the EPS filter mitigation registry key is correctly configured on the endpoint:
# Verify the status of the EPS filter mitigation registry key
$regPath = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Common\Security\AllowPostScript'
if (Test-Path $regPath) {
$val = Get-ItemProperty -Path $regPath -Name 'AllowPostScript' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
if ($val.AllowPostScript -eq 0) {
Write-Host '[SAFE] EPS Filter is successfully disabled via registry.' -ForegroundColor Green
} else {
Write-Host '[WARNING] EPS Filter registry key exists but is NOT set to 0.' -ForegroundColor Yellow
}
} else {
Write-Host '[VULNERABLE] EPS Filter registry mitigation is not applied.' -ForegroundColor Red
}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-2017-0262) is a critical remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability that occurs when Microsoft Office fails to properly handle objects in memory. Specifically, the root cause lies within the Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) image filter (EPSIMP32.FLT) used by Office applications. When parsing a specially crafted EPS file, a memory corruption vulnerability is triggered, allowing attackers to bypass memory protections and execute arbitrary instructions.
2. Exploitation Mechanics & Attack Scenario
An attacker exploits this vulnerability by embedding a malicious EPS graphic object into an Office document (such as Word, Excel, or PowerPoint) and distributing it via spear-phishing emails or malicious downloads. When a target user opens the document, the Office application automatically invokes the EPS filter to render the image. During this rendering process, the malformed PostScript code triggers memory corruption, leading to arbitrary shellcode execution under the security context of the logged-in user. This vulnerability has been actively exploited in the wild by advanced persistent threat (APT) actors.
3. Infrastructure & Business Impact
Successful exploitation allows an attacker to gain complete control over the affected endpoint. The attacker can install unauthorized software, view, modify, or delete sensitive data, and potentially perform lateral movement within the corporate network. If the victim has administrative privileges, the entire domain infrastructure could be compromised, posing a severe threat to business continuity and data confidentiality.
Official Vendor Advisories & References
Microsoft Office 2010 SP2, Office 2013 SP1, and Office 2016 allow a remote code execution vulnerability when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory, aka "Office Remote Code Execution Vulnerability". This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2017-0261 and CVE-2017-0281.
Frequently Asked SecOps Questions (CVE-2017-0262)
FAQQ1. How critical is CVE-2017-0262 and is it actively exploited in the wild?
CVE-2017-0262 is rated CVSS 7.8 (HIGH) with a 30-day EPSS exploitation probability of 81.0%. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, requiring immediate emergency remediation.
Q2. Which vendors and products are affected by CVE-2017-0262?
Primary impacted vendors include microsoft across office. Scope summary: Microsoft Office 2010 Service Pack 2, Microsoft Office 2013 Service Pack 1, Microsoft Office 2016
Q3. What temporary mitigations or workarounds exist for CVE-2017-0262 before patching?
[Mitigation] Apply official Microsoft security patches immediately, or disable the EPS filter via registry modification 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-2017-0262
Instantly format this advisory into an executive CISO summary or engineering patch ticket.
🔗 Related Advisories in Similar Stack (microsoft)
View Category →Microsoft Office Word Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2026-21514) Analysis and Mitigation Guide
[Affected Scope] Microsoft Office Word and associated Office suites
Microsoft Windows Shell Command Injection and Security Feature Bypass (CVE-2026-96951) Advisory
[Affected Scope] All supported versions of Windows OS including Windows 10, 11, and Windows Server.
Windows ALPC Heap-Based Buffer Overflow Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2026-85880) Security Advisory
[Affected Scope] Locally authenticated users across Microsoft Windows operating systems
Windows Update Stack Privilege Escalation Vulnerability via Link Following (CVE-2026-81963) Technical Advisory
[Affected Scope] Microsoft Windows operating systems utilizing the Windows Update Stack
Subscribe to Daily Vulnerability Briefings & KEV Alerts
Concise morning briefings for SecOps, DevSecOps, and SRE teams covering newly exploited CVEs and mitigation priorities.