CVE-2015-6172 in Office
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Word 2007 SP3, Office 2010 SP2, Word 2010 SP2, Word 2013 SP1, Word 2016, Word 2013 RT SP1, and Office Compatibility Pack SP3 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted email message processed by Outlook, aka "Microsoft Office RCE Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/29/2022
This vulnerability represents a critical remote code execution flaw affecting multiple versions of Microsoft Office applications including Word 2007 SP3, Office 2010 SP2, Word 2010 SP2, Word 2013 SP1, Word 2016, Word 2013 RT SP1, and the Office Compatibility Pack SP3. The vulnerability specifically manifests when Outlook processes crafted email messages containing malicious content that triggers arbitrary code execution on the target system. This represents a classic attack vector that leverages the trust relationship between email clients and document processing applications, allowing threat actors to bypass traditional security controls by exploiting the inherent document parsing mechanisms within Office applications.
The technical flaw stems from insufficient input validation and memory corruption issues within the Office document processing libraries that handle various file formats including .doc, .docx, and other compatible document types. When Outlook encounters a specially crafted email message containing malformed document content, the parsing routines fail to properly validate the input data, leading to memory corruption that can be exploited to inject and execute malicious code with the privileges of the user running Outlook. This vulnerability operates at the intersection of multiple attack surfaces including email processing, document parsing, and memory management functions, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered through routine email interactions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple code execution, as it provides attackers with complete system compromise capabilities that align with the tactics described in the ATT&CK framework under T1203 (Exploitation for Client Execution) and T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter). Successful exploitation can lead to full system compromise, data exfiltration, lateral movement within networks, and persistent access through the establishment of backdoors or other malicious infrastructure. Organizations with legacy Office installations remain particularly vulnerable as the vulnerability affects older versions that may not receive timely security updates, creating persistent attack vectors that can be exploited for extended periods.
Mitigation strategies should focus on multiple layers of defense including immediate deployment of Microsoft security patches and updates, implementation of email filtering solutions that can identify and quarantine suspicious document attachments, and user education programs to reduce the likelihood of successful social engineering attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict the execution of Office applications in potentially untrusted contexts, while monitoring for unusual document processing activities that could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-119 (Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer) and its alignment with ATT&CK techniques demonstrate the need for comprehensive security approaches that address both technical controls and human factors in defending against sophisticated threats.