Memory Corruption in Microsoft Office (CVE‑2015‑1642) Enables Remote Code Execution
What It Is – A memory‑corruption flaw in Microsoft Office allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code when a victim opens a specially‑crafted Office document.
Exploitability – Publicly disclosed; proof‑of‑concept code exists; CVSS v3.1 base score 7.8 (High).
Affected Products – Microsoft Office 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016 on Windows 7/8/10 and Windows Server 2008‑R2/2012/2016.
Why It Matters for Trust & Control Assurance
- Patch Management – Demonstrates the need for continuous monitoring of vendor‑issued patches and evidence that updates are applied within defined service‑level windows.
- Secure Configuration – Highlights the importance of maintaining a hardened Office deployment (e.g., disabling unsafe macros) and documenting the configuration baseline.
- Audit Readiness – A timely remediation record provides defensible proof for auditors that the organization actively mitigates known vulnerabilities.
Recommended Actions
- Identify all endpoints running the listed Office versions.
- Deploy Microsoft’s security update (KB 3022345) or later via an automated patch‑management tool.
- Verify remediation through endpoint inventory and vulnerability‑scanning reports.
- Document the patch‑deployment workflow as part of your control‑evidence repository.
Source: CISA KEV – CVE‑2015‑1642