CVE-2015-1682 in Office
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Office 2010 SP2, Excel 2010 SP2, PowerPoint 2010 SP2, Word 2010 SP2, Office 2013 SP1, Excel 2013 SP1, PowerPoint 2013 SP1, Word 2013 SP1, Office 2013 RT SP1, Excel 2013 RT SP1, PowerPoint 2013 RT SP1, Word 2013 RT SP1, Office for Mac 2011, Excel for Mac 2011, PowerPoint for Mac 2011, Word for Mac 2011, PowerPoint Viewer, Word Automation Services on SharePoint Server 2010 SP2 and 2013 SP1, Excel Services on SharePoint Server 2010 SP2 and 2013 SP1, Office Web Apps 2010 SP2, Excel Web App 2010 SP2, Office Web Apps Server 2013 SP1, SharePoint Foundation 2010 SP2, and SharePoint Server 2013 SP1 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted document, aka "Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/17/2022
This vulnerability represents a critical memory corruption flaw affecting multiple Microsoft Office applications and server components from 2010 and 2013 versions. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of malformed or specially crafted Office documents during the parsing process, which can lead to memory corruption conditions that attackers can exploit to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The flaw affects both desktop Office applications and server-side components including SharePoint services and Office Web Apps, creating a broad attack surface that spans enterprise environments. According to CWE-125, this vulnerability maps to out-of-bounds read conditions that can occur when applications fail to properly validate input data structures, particularly within Office document parsers. The attack vector requires remote code execution through maliciously crafted Office documents, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users frequently open documents from untrusted sources.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves memory corruption during the processing of Office file formats, specifically affecting how applications handle certain data structures within document files. When a user opens a specially crafted document, the Office application's parsing engine encounters malformed data that triggers memory corruption, potentially leading to stack or heap corruption. This type of vulnerability typically occurs when input validation is insufficient or when buffer operations exceed allocated memory boundaries. The exploitation process often involves precise memory layout manipulation to achieve code execution, leveraging techniques such as return-oriented programming or direct memory manipulation. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability through various delivery methods including email attachments, web downloads, or document sharing platforms, making it particularly challenging to defend against in enterprise environments. The vulnerability affects the parsing of various Office file formats including .doc, .xls, .ppt, and their respective newer formats, making it extremely difficult to create comprehensive protection measures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution to potentially compromise entire enterprise networks through lateral movement and privilege escalation. Once an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, they can gain unauthorized access to systems and potentially escalate privileges to SYSTEM level access, depending on the target environment. The widespread deployment of affected Office versions across enterprise environments means that a successful exploitation could affect hundreds or thousands of systems simultaneously. The vulnerability's presence in SharePoint Server components and Office Web Apps creates additional risks for web-based document sharing and collaboration environments where users may inadvertently open malicious documents. Organizations that rely heavily on Office automation services, such as Word Automation Services and Excel Services, face particular risk as these components can be exploited through automated document processing workflows. The vulnerability's remote execution capability means that attackers do not need physical access to target systems, making it a significant threat to organizations with remote workers or cloud-based document sharing systems.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on multiple defensive layers including immediate patch deployment, network segmentation, and enhanced document validation. Microsoft released security updates addressing this vulnerability through regular security patches, making timely patch management critical for organizations. Network-based defenses should include email filtering solutions that can identify and block malicious Office documents, particularly those with suspicious file extensions or embedded malicious code. Application whitelisting solutions can help prevent execution of unauthorized Office processes, while endpoint protection solutions should include behavioral monitoring to detect anomalous Office application behavior. Organizations should implement strict document validation policies, including disabling automatic opening of Office documents from untrusted sources and implementing sandboxing for document processing. The vulnerability's presence in SharePoint environments requires specific attention to document library security settings and user permissions to prevent unauthorized document uploads. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1203 (Exploitation for Client Execution) and T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) techniques, highlighting the need for comprehensive endpoint detection and response capabilities. Regular security awareness training for users is essential to prevent social engineering attacks that might deliver malicious Office documents through phishing campaigns, as human factors remain a critical component in successful exploitation of such vulnerabilities.