CVE-2022-26805 in 365 Apps for Enterprise
Summary
by MITRE • 12/13/2022
Microsoft Office Graphics Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2022-26804, CVE-2022-26806, CVE-2022-44692, CVE-2022-47211, CVE-2022-47212, CVE-2022-47213.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/12/2026
The CVE-2022-26805 vulnerability represents a critical remote code execution flaw within Microsoft Office Graphics components that specifically affects the handling of embedded graphics objects in Office documents. This vulnerability resides in the Office Graphics rendering engine and manifests when processing specially crafted graphics elements within Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files. The flaw enables attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems with the privileges of the authenticated user, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users frequently open documents from untrusted sources.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation within the Office Graphics subsystem when processing malformed or maliciously constructed graphic elements. Attackers can craft Office documents containing specially designed graphics objects that trigger buffer overflows or memory corruption during the rendering process. This vulnerability is classified under CWE-121 as a stack-based buffer overflow, which occurs when insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations. The flaw specifically impacts the way Office applications parse and render embedded graphics, particularly those utilizing complex vector graphics or embedded image formats that require extensive processing within the application's graphics engine.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to organizations since it can be exploited through social engineering attacks via phishing emails containing malicious Office documents. The attack vector typically involves an attacker sending crafted emails with attachments that appear legitimate to unsuspecting users, who then open the documents and inadvertently trigger the exploit. The vulnerability affects multiple Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, with the highest risk associated with Word documents since they are most commonly used for document sharing and collaboration. The exploit requires no special privileges to initiate the attack, making it particularly dangerous as users with standard permissions can potentially compromise entire systems.
The impact of CVE-2022-26805 aligns with the ATT&CK framework's T1203 technique for Exploitation for Client Execution, where adversaries leverage vulnerabilities in software applications to execute malicious code. This vulnerability also maps to T1566 for Phishing as a method of initial access, since the typical attack scenario involves tricking users into opening malicious documents. Organizations using default Microsoft Office configurations without proper security mitigations face the highest exposure risk, particularly those that do not implement strict document filtering or sandboxing mechanisms. The vulnerability can be exploited across multiple platforms including Windows desktop and server environments, though the attack surface varies based on the Office version and patch status.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-26805 should include immediate deployment of Microsoft security patches released in the February 2022 security updates, which address the underlying buffer overflow in the Office Graphics rendering engine. Organizations should implement restrictive document handling policies that disable automatic execution of macros and embedded objects, particularly when opening files from external sources. Network segmentation and email filtering solutions should be configured to scan and quarantine potentially malicious Office documents before they reach end users. Additionally, implementing application whitelisting policies can prevent execution of unauthorized Office components, while regular security awareness training can help users identify suspicious email attachments. Organizations should also consider deploying endpoint protection solutions with advanced threat detection capabilities that can identify anomalous behavior patterns associated with exploitation attempts, including memory corruption patterns and unusual graphics rendering activities.