CVE-2015-6092 in Word
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Word 2007 SP3, Office 2010 SP2, Word 2010 SP2, Word 2013 SP1, Word 2013 RT SP1, Word 2016, Office Compatibility Pack SP3, and Word Viewer allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted Office document, aka "Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerability."
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/27/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-6092 represents a critical memory corruption flaw affecting multiple versions of Microsoft Word and the Office Compatibility Pack. This vulnerability resides within the document processing engine of Microsoft Office applications, specifically in how they handle malformed or crafted Office documents. The flaw enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems simply by persuading users to open a specially crafted document. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of memory corruption issues that can lead to complete system compromise when exploited successfully.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and memory handling within Microsoft Word's document parsing functionality. When the vulnerable applications process maliciously crafted Office documents, they fail to properly validate the structure and content of the document elements, leading to memory corruption that can be leveraged to inject and execute malicious code. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the application level where user interaction is required for exploitation, making it a prime target for social engineering attacks. The flaw is categorized as a buffer overflow or memory corruption vulnerability, which aligns with CWE-121, which describes conditions where insufficient control of a resource's size allows the resource to be overwritten.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-6092 extends beyond simple code execution to encompass complete system compromise and potential lateral movement within network environments. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability gains the ability to execute code with the privileges of the victim user, potentially leading to full system control, data exfiltration, and establishment of persistent backdoors. The vulnerability affects a wide range of Microsoft Office products including Word 2007 through Word 2016, making it particularly impactful across enterprise environments where these applications are commonly deployed. Organizations using these vulnerable versions face significant risk as the attack vector requires minimal user interaction beyond opening the malicious document, making it particularly effective in phishing campaigns and targeted attacks.
The exploitation of this vulnerability typically follows the standard attack patterns outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under techniques such as initial access through spearphishing and privilege escalation through code execution. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability represents a classic example of how document-based attacks can bypass traditional network security controls by leveraging the trust users place in Office applications. Microsoft has addressed this vulnerability through security updates that include enhanced input validation and memory management controls within the Office document processing engines. Organizations should prioritize applying these patches immediately and consider implementing additional protective measures such as email filtering, document preview restrictions, and user education programs to reduce the attack surface and mitigate the risk of successful exploitation. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and the potential consequences of delaying security updates in enterprise environments.