CVE-2017-0283 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE
Uniscribe in Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, Windows RT 8.1, Windows 10 Gold, 1511, 1607, Windows Server 2016, Microsoft Office 2007 SP3, Microsoft Office 2010 SP2, Microsoft Office Word Viewer, Microsoft Lync 2013 SP1, Skype for Business 2016, Microsoft Silverlight 5 Developer Runtime when installed on Microsoft Windows, and Microsoft Silverlight 5 when installed on Microsoft Windows allows a remote code execution vulnerability due to the way it handles objects in memory, aka "Windows Uniscribe Remote Code Execution Vulnerability". This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2017-8528.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/30/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2017-0283 resides within the Uniscribe text processing engine component of Microsoft Windows operating systems and Office applications. This flaw affects a broad range of Microsoft products including various Windows Server and client versions, Office suites, and Silverlight runtime environments. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of memory objects during text processing operations, specifically when processing complex Unicode text rendering scenarios that involve bidirectional text and complex script layouts. Uniscribe is responsible for text shaping and rendering in Windows applications, particularly handling complex text layouts for languages that require special rendering rules such as Arabic, Hebrew, and other right-to-left scripts. The vulnerability represents a classic heap-based buffer overflow condition that occurs when maliciously crafted Unicode text is processed through the Uniscribe engine.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves crafting specially formatted text content that triggers memory corruption within the Uniscribe component. When an application processes this malicious text, the flawed memory handling causes the application to overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and more specifically aligns with CWE-787, representing out-of-bounds write vulnerabilities. The attack vector typically involves social engineering techniques where users are tricked into opening malicious documents or visiting compromised websites that contain the malicious text content. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited through multiple attack surfaces including email attachments, web pages, and document files, making it a prime target for widespread exploitation campaigns.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-0283 extends across numerous enterprise environments due to the widespread adoption of affected Microsoft products. Organizations running Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, and various Office versions are all at risk, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries can leverage for persistent access. The vulnerability's classification as a remote code execution flaw means that attackers can potentially compromise systems without requiring local access, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise networks. This vulnerability maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1059 for command and scripting interpreter, T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, and T1203 for exploitation for client execution. The attack surface includes not only user endpoints but also server environments, as the vulnerability affects both client and server versions of Windows, potentially allowing attackers to escalate privileges and move laterally within networks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-0283 should include immediate deployment of Microsoft security patches and updates, as the vulnerability was addressed through the August 2017 security updates. Organizations should implement additional protective measures such as enabling exploit protection features, configuring application whitelisting policies, and restricting user privileges to limit potential damage from successful exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect anomalous text processing activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing sandboxing for document processing and restricting access to potentially malicious content through email filtering and web proxies. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies, as the affected components are core system elements that are difficult to isolate or replace. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar memory corruption vulnerabilities in other system components and third-party applications.