Microsoft Office PowerPoint Code Injection
CVE-2009-0556 is a high-severity improper control of generation of code vulnerability in Office Powerpoint from Microsoft, with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 9.3 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. Affected Office Powerpoint versions: 2004. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on January 7, 2026, which means attacks have been observed in the wild.
Attackers are already exploiting this vulnerability, according to CISA.
What to do
- Check which version of Office Powerpoint you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- CISA's required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
- Read the advisory on blogs.technet.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | Office Powerpoint | 2004 | Not stated |
| Microsoft | Powerpoint | 2000; 2002; 2003 | Not stated |
Version data comes from NVD's product matching. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Access vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network.
- Access complexity
- MediumSome conditions must be met.
- Authentication
- NoneNo login is needed.
- Confidentiality
- CompleteAll data can be read.
- Integrity
- CompleteAny data can be modified.
- Availability
- CompleteThe system can be shut down completely.
Vector: AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 8.8 | High | CISA (ADP) |
| CVSS 2.0 | 9.3 | High | NVD |
Official description
Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2000 SP3, 2002 SP3, and 2003 SP3, and PowerPoint in Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a PowerPoint file with an OutlineTextRefAtom containing an an invalid index value that triggers memory corruption, as exploited in the wild in April 2009 by Exploit:Win32/Apptom.gen, aka "Memory Corruption Vulnerability."
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Improper Control of Generation of Code
The product constructs all or part of a code segment using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the syntax or behavior of the intended code segment.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Refactor your program so that you do not have to dynamically generate code.
- Run your code in a jail or similar sandbox environment that enforces strict boundaries between the process and the operating system. This may effectively restrict which code can be executed by your product. Examples include the Unix chroot jail and AppArmor. In general, managed code may provide some protection. This may not be a feasible solution, and it only limits the impact to the operating system; the rest of your application may still be subject to compromise. Be careful to avoid CWE-243 and other weaknesses related to jails.
- Use dynamic tools and techniques that interact with the product using large test suites with many diverse inputs, such as fuzz testing (fuzzing), robustness testing, and fault injection. The product's operation may slow down, but it should not become unstable, crash, or generate incorrect results.
More Improper Control of Generation of Code vulnerabilities (CWE-94)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: active, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue.
- Deadline for US federal agencies to remediate, set by CISA.
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Advisories
- blogs.technet.com/mmpc/archive/2009/04/02/new-0-day-exploits-using-powerpoint-files.aspx
- blogs.technet.com/msrc/archive/2009/04/02/microsoft-security-advisory-969136.aspx
- blogs.technet.com/srd/archive/2009/04/02/investigating-the-new-powerpoint-issue.aspx
- secunia.com/advisories/34572
- microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/969136.mspx
- vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/0915
- docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2009/ms09-017
Third-party and government advisories
- kb.cert.org/vuls/id/627331US Government Resource
- us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA09-132A.htmlUS Government Resource
- zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-09-019Third Party Advisory
- exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/49632Third Party Advisory
- cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2009-0556US Government Resource
Recent Improper Control of Generation of Code vulnerabilities
- 9.8 Critical severity
phpMyAdmin Remote Code Execution Exploited
- 9.3 High severity
Microsoft Office Remote Code Execution Exploited
- 10.0 High severity
Microsoft Windows Buffer Overflow Exploited
Spotted an error? Tell us.