CVE-2015-0085 in Office
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in Microsoft Office 2007 SP3, Excel 2007 SP3, PowerPoint 2007 SP3, Word 2007 SP3, Office 2010 SP2, Excel 2010 SP2, PowerPoint 2010 SP2, Word 2010 SP2, Office 2013 Gold and SP1, Word 2013 Gold and SP1, Office 2013 RT Gold and SP1, Word 2013 RT Gold and SP1, Excel Viewer, Office Compatibility Pack SP3, Word Automation Services on SharePoint Server 2010 SP2, Excel Services on SharePoint Server 2013 Gold and SP1, Word Automation Services on SharePoint Server 2013 Gold and SP1, Web Applications 2010 SP2, Office Web Apps Server 2010 SP2, Web Apps Server 2013 Gold and SP1, SharePoint Server 2007 SP3, Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 SP3, SharePoint Foundation 2010 SP2, SharePoint Server 2010 SP2, SharePoint Foundation 2013 Gold and SP1, and SharePoint Server 2013 Gold and SP1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted Office document, aka "Microsoft Office Component Use After Free Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/15/2022
This vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw in Microsoft Office components that affects multiple versions spanning from Office 2007 through Office 2013 across various platforms and server environments. The issue occurs when the affected Microsoft Office applications process specially crafted Office documents that contain malicious code designed to trigger memory management errors. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-416 as a use-after-free condition, where a program continues to reference memory that has already been freed, creating opportunities for attackers to execute arbitrary code through controlled memory corruption.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves crafting malicious Office documents that, when opened by vulnerable applications, cause the application to free memory resources while still maintaining references to them. This memory corruption allows attackers to manipulate the program's execution flow and potentially inject malicious code into the target system. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered remotely through email attachments, web downloads, or file sharing mechanisms, making it a prime candidate for drive-by download attacks and social engineering campaigns. Attackers can leverage this flaw to gain unauthorized access to systems, escalate privileges, or establish persistent backdoors.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-0085 extends far beyond individual system compromises, affecting enterprise environments where Office documents are frequently shared and processed across multiple platforms. Organizations using SharePoint Server environments, Office Web Apps, and automation services are particularly vulnerable since these platforms process Office documents automatically without user interaction, making them ideal targets for automated exploitation. The vulnerability's presence in Word Automation Services and Excel Services on SharePoint Server 2013 means that even automated document processing workflows can be exploited, potentially leading to widespread system compromise across entire enterprise networks. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.005 for command and script interpreter, as successful exploitation typically involves executing malicious code through compromised Office processes.
Microsoft addressed this vulnerability through comprehensive patches released in their regular security update cycle, requiring immediate deployment across all affected systems. The mitigation strategy involves not only applying the official security updates but also implementing additional protective measures such as email filtering, document validation, and restricted file type handling. Organizations should consider implementing application whitelisting policies to prevent execution of untrusted Office documents and deploy advanced threat protection solutions that can detect anomalous behavior patterns associated with memory corruption exploits. Network segmentation and user access controls should be enforced to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing layered defense strategies in enterprise environments where Office documents serve as primary attack vectors.