CVE-2014-6352 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, and Windows RT Gold and 8.1 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted OLE object, as exploited in the wild in October 2014 with a crafted PowerPoint document.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/22/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical remote code execution flaw in Microsoft Windows operating systems that was actively exploited in October 2014 through malicious PowerPoint documents. The vulnerability resides in the handling of OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) objects within Microsoft Office applications, specifically affecting a wide range of Windows versions including Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, and Windows RT Gold and 8.1. The flaw allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable systems simply by opening a specially crafted PowerPoint document containing malicious OLE objects.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation within Microsoft Office's OLE object processing functionality. When a user opens a malicious PowerPoint file, the Office application attempts to process embedded OLE objects without adequate bounds checking or memory protection mechanisms. This allows an attacker to craft OLE objects that trigger memory corruption conditions, specifically heap-based buffer overflows that can be leveraged to overwrite critical memory locations. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-121 as a stack-based buffer overflow, though the actual exploitation occurs in heap memory regions, making it particularly challenging to detect and prevent through traditional stack overflow protections.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching, as it enables attackers to gain complete system compromise without requiring any user interaction beyond opening the malicious document. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1204.002 for legitimate user execution and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter, as the exploitation chain typically involves executing malicious code through the Office application's process. The vulnerability can be exploited across enterprise networks, as it affects multiple Windows versions and Office products, making it an attractive target for nation-state actors and cybercriminals seeking to establish persistent access to organizational networks. The attack vector through PowerPoint documents is particularly dangerous because such files are commonly shared in business environments and often bypass typical email filtering mechanisms due to their legitimate use in presentations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected systems through Microsoft's security updates, specifically addressing the OLE object processing flaws in Office applications. Organizations should implement strict document filtering policies, particularly blocking Office documents from untrusted sources, and deploy application whitelisting solutions to prevent execution of malicious Office files. Network-based protections such as intrusion detection systems can help detect exploitation attempts, while endpoint protection solutions should be configured to monitor for suspicious Office process behavior. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and demonstrates the critical nature of protecting against Office-based attack vectors, which represent the most common initial compromise vectors in enterprise security incidents. Additionally, user education regarding the dangers of opening unexpected Office documents and implementing security awareness programs can significantly reduce the risk of successful exploitation, as this vulnerability typically relies on social engineering to convince users to open malicious documents.