CVE-2015-1641 in Office
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Word 2007 SP3, Office 2010 SP2, Word 2010 SP2, Word 2013 SP1, Word 2013 RT SP1, Word for Mac 2011, Office Compatibility Pack SP3, Word Automation Services on SharePoint Server 2010 SP2 and 2013 SP1, and Office Web Apps Server 2010 SP2 and 2013 SP1 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted RTF document, aka "Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/22/2026
The Microsoft Office RTF memory corruption vulnerability represents a critical security flaw that affects multiple versions of Microsoft Word and related Office components. This vulnerability specifically targets the Rich Text Format parsing functionality within Microsoft Office applications, creating a pathway for remote code execution through specially crafted RTF documents. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and memory management during the processing of RTF file structures, allowing attackers to manipulate memory contents and potentially execute malicious code with the privileges of the targeted user. The vulnerability impacts a broad range of Microsoft Office products including Word 2007 through 2013 across various platforms and server configurations, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where these applications are widely deployed.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when Microsoft Office applications process maliciously crafted RTF documents that contain specially constructed data structures designed to trigger memory corruption. The flaw typically manifests as buffer overflows or heap corruption during RTF parsing operations, where the application fails to properly validate the size and structure of embedded data within the RTF format. Attackers can leverage this weakness by embedding malicious code within RTF documents that appear legitimate to users, often through social engineering techniques such as phishing emails or compromised websites. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited without requiring user interaction beyond opening the malicious document, making it particularly insidious. According to CWE classification, this represents a memory corruption vulnerability under CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read) and CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write) categories, which aligns with the typical exploitation patterns of such memory corruption flaws.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-1641 extends beyond simple code execution to potentially enable full system compromise and lateral movement within network environments. Once successfully exploited, attackers can gain arbitrary code execution capabilities that may allow them to install malware, establish persistence mechanisms, or escalate privileges to SYSTEM level access depending on the target system configuration. The vulnerability's presence in Office Web Apps Server and SharePoint environments creates additional attack surface for web-based exploitation campaigns, potentially allowing attackers to compromise entire document management systems. Organizations using Word Automation Services on SharePoint servers face particular risk as these services may process RTF documents automatically without user interaction, creating potential for automated exploitation. The vulnerability's exploitation can lead to data breaches, system compromise, and unauthorized access to sensitive corporate information, making it a significant concern for enterprise security teams. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) and T1106 (Native API) techniques, as successful exploitation typically involves invoking system APIs and executing commands through legitimate Office processes.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-1641 should include immediate patch deployment from Microsoft, which provides security updates specifically addressing the memory corruption issues in RTF processing. Organizations should implement strict email filtering and content inspection mechanisms to prevent malicious RTF documents from reaching end users, particularly focusing on outbound email scanning and attachment filtering. Disabling RTF file processing in web-based Office applications and SharePoint environments can significantly reduce exploitation risk, though this may impact legitimate document processing functionality. Network segmentation and application whitelisting policies can help contain potential exploitation attempts by limiting which systems can process RTF content. Security monitoring should focus on detecting unusual Office process behavior, memory access patterns, and network connections that may indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify systems running affected Office versions and ensure proper patch management procedures are in place. The implementation of principle of least privilege access controls and user education programs can further reduce the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts by limiting the privileges available to compromised accounts.