CVE-2026-45461 in Office
Summary
by MITRE • 06/09/2026
Heap-based buffer overflow in Microsoft Office allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code locally.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/10/2026
A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in Microsoft Office presents a critical security risk that enables unauthorized remote code execution within the targeted system. This vulnerability resides in the memory management mechanisms of Microsoft Office applications, specifically within the heap allocation and deallocation processes that handle dynamic memory operations. The flaw occurs when the application fails to properly validate input data before copying it into heap-allocated memory buffers, allowing attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations with malicious code or structured data that can be executed as part of the program flow. Such vulnerabilities fall under the common weakness enumeration CWE-121 heap-based buffer overflow category, which represents one of the most prevalent and dangerous classes of memory corruption vulnerabilities in software applications. The attack vector typically involves enticing a user to open a maliciously crafted Office document that contains specially crafted data structures designed to trigger the buffer overflow during normal document processing operations. When the vulnerable Office application processes this malicious content, the overflow corrupts the heap memory structure and can potentially overwrite function pointers, return addresses, or other critical control data within the application's memory space. The operational impact of such a vulnerability extends far beyond simple data corruption, as successful exploitation can result in complete system compromise with the privileges of the user running the Office application. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code with the same privileges as the targeted user, potentially leading to persistent backdoor access, credential theft, or further network infiltration. According to the attack tactics framework, this vulnerability aligns with the initial access and execution phases of the kill chain, where adversaries establish a foothold and then escalate privileges through local code execution. The vulnerability's exploitation often requires social engineering techniques to convince users to open malicious documents, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users may inadvertently trigger the attack through legitimate business processes. Organizations should prioritize immediate patch management and implement application whitelisting policies to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability, while also conducting regular security assessments to identify potential attack surfaces that could be leveraged to exploit similar memory corruption flaws. The remediation approach typically involves applying official Microsoft security updates that address the specific heap memory handling issues, combined with network segmentation and user access controls to limit potential damage from successful exploitation attempts.