CVE-2025-53731 in Office
Summary
by MITRE • 08/12/2025
Use after free in Microsoft Office allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code locally.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/10/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free condition in Microsoft Office applications that enables remote code execution through local privilege escalation. The flaw occurs when the application fails to properly manage memory allocation and deallocation, creating a scenario where freed memory blocks can still be accessed and manipulated by malicious code. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting specially designed Office documents that trigger the memory management error during document processing, leading to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the targeted user. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of object references in the Office rendering engine, specifically within the document parsing components that process various file formats including word processing documents, spreadsheets, and presentation files. This type of vulnerability falls under the common weakness enumeration CWE-416 which specifically addresses use-after-free errors in memory management. The operational impact is severe as it allows attackers to execute malicious payloads without requiring user interaction beyond opening a compromised document, making it particularly dangerous in targeted attack scenarios where social engineering may not be necessary. The vulnerability exists across multiple Microsoft Office versions and affects various document formats, creating a broad attack surface that could be exploited in both enterprise and individual user environments. The attack vector typically involves sending malicious Office documents via email or other file transfer methods, where the document is opened by the victim, triggering the memory corruption that leads to code execution. This vulnerability directly maps to the attack technique T1059 in the ATT&CK framework, specifically the execution of malicious code through compromised Office applications. The exploitation process relies on the attacker's ability to control the memory layout and overwrite function pointers or virtual table entries, allowing for privilege escalation and persistent access to the compromised system. Security researchers have identified that the vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be leveraged to bypass modern security mitigations such as address space layout randomization and data execution prevention. The memory corruption occurs during the processing of embedded objects or complex formatting elements within Office documents, where the application's memory management routines fail to properly validate object lifecycles. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including disabling automatic document opening, implementing strict file validation policies, and ensuring all Office installations are updated with the latest security patches. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper memory management practices in software development and demonstrates how seemingly minor memory handling errors can lead to significant security implications. Microsoft has addressed this vulnerability through security updates that improve memory management routines and implement additional validation checks during document processing. The remediation process requires careful application of security patches and may involve temporary workarounds such as restricting document format support or implementing sandboxing mechanisms for document processing. Organizations should also conduct security awareness training to help users identify potentially malicious Office documents and understand the risks associated with opening untrusted files from unknown sources. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of secure coding practices and proper memory management in enterprise applications, particularly those handling untrusted input data.