Microsoft PowerPoint Memory Corruption
CVE-2015-2424 is a high-severity out-of-bounds write vulnerability in Excel Viewer 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 Excel Viewer versions: 2007. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on March 3, 2022, 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 Excel Viewer you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- CISA's required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.
- Read the advisory on docs.microsoft.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 | Excel Viewer | 2007 | Not stated |
| Microsoft | Office | 2007; 2010; 2011; 2013 | Not stated |
| Microsoft | Office Compatibility Pack | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Microsoft | Powerpoint | 2007; 2010 | Not stated |
| Microsoft | Word | 2013 | Not stated |
| Microsoft | Word Viewer | Not specified in the record | 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 PowerPoint 2007 SP3, Word 2007 SP3, PowerPoint 2010 SP2, Word 2010 SP2, PowerPoint 2013 SP1, Word 2013 SP1, and PowerPoint 2013 RT SP1 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted Office document, aka "Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerability."
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Out-of-bounds Write
The product writes data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Use a language that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. For example, many languages that perform their own memory management, such as Java and Perl, are not subject to buffer overflows. Other languages, such as Ada and C#, typically provide overflow protection, but the protection can be disabled by the programmer. Be wary that a language's interface to native code may still be subject to overflows, even if the language itself is theoretically safe.
- Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. Examples include the Safe C String Library (SafeStr) by Messier and Viega, and the Strsafe.h library from Microsoft. These libraries provide safer versions of overflow-prone string-handling functions.
- Use automatic buffer overflow detection mechanisms that are offered by certain compilers or compiler extensions. Examples include: the Microsoft Visual Studio /GS flag, Fedora/Red Hat FORTIFY_SOURCE GCC flag, StackGuard, and ProPolice, which provide various mechanisms including canary-based detection and range/index checking. D3-SFCV (Stack Frame Canary Validation) from D3FEND discusses canary-based detection in detail.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- Added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue.
- Deadline for US federal agencies to remediate, set by CISA.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: active, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Third-party and government advisories
- cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2015-2424US Government Resource
Other vulnerabilities in Excel Viewer
- 8.8 High severity
Microsoft MSHTML Remote Code Execution Exploited
- 7.8 High severity
Microsoft Office Security Feature Bypass Exploited
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 9.3 High severity
Microsoft Office Remote Code Execution Exploited
- 9.3 High severity
Recent Out-of-bounds Write vulnerabilities
- 7.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
Adobe Flash Player Memory Corruption Exploited
- 7.8 High severity
Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Exploited
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