Imagine opening a trusted-looking Visio diagram someone sent you, only to unknowingly let a hacker run malicious code on your system. That’s the risk thousands faced with the Microsoft Office Visio vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2022-24461. In this deep dive, we’ll break down what CVE-2022-24461 is, how attackers exploit it, show you example code, and—most importantly—link you to the patches and advice straight from official sources.

> *Note: This CVE is different from CVE-2022-24509 and CVE-2022-24510, which also affect Visio.*

What Is CVE-2022-24461?

CVE-2022-24461 is a Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability in Microsoft Office Visio, the diagramming tool used by businesses worldwide. This bug could let attackers run any code they want on your PC just by getting you to open a booby-trapped .vsdx file.

Official Microsoft Advisory:  
https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2022-24461

How Does the Attack Work?

Attackers craft a specially formed Visio file (*.vsdx). When the file is opened in a vulnerable version of Visio, memory corruption happens, giving the attacker a way to run code as the current user—sometimes enough to take over the machine.

Typical Attack Chain

1. Creation: Attacker creates a malicious Visio file—often embedding harmful scripts or shellcode.

Is It Different From Other Visio CVEs?

Yes. While CVE-2022-24509 and CVE-2022-24510 affect Visio, they’re different vulnerabilities with separate bugs and patches.

CVE-2022-24510 (Similar file parsing issue, but triggered differently)

Why mention this? Because patching one does not cover the others.

Visio 2019 and certain Office LTSC versions

Always check Microsoft documentation for a full list:  
https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/releaseNote/2022-Jun

Example Exploit Code

Let’s look at a simplified pseudo-example (for educational purposes only) of how an attack might start.

<!-- Malicious fragment inside a .vsdx -->
<Relationships xmlns="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/package/2006/relationships">;
  <Relationship Type="http://schemas.microsoft.com/visio/201/relationships/text";
    Target="file:///C:\Windows\System32\calc.exe"
    Id="rId1337"/>
</Relationships>

In real attacks, the payload could be more sophisticated—embedding shellcode, abusing macros, or using obfuscated scripts.

Proof of Concept (PoC) Structure

A full working exploit isn’t published publicly, but many exploit frameworks can be adapted. Most start with a crafted .vsdx with corrupt relationship references or embedded OLE objects.

Here’s a Python snippet showing how one could insert a payload (for education and red teaming)

from zipfile import ZipFile

with ZipFile('malicious.vsdx', 'a') as zipf:
    payload = '<Relationship Type="..." Target="file:///C:/malicious.exe" Id="rId999"/>'
    zipf.writestr('visio_rels/evil.xml', payload)

When Visio processes this reference, it can trigger unintended behavior.

Mitigation & Patching

Are you vulnerable?

- Manual: Direct download for Office

References & Further Reading

- Microsoft Security Response Center - CVE-2022-24461
- Official Patch Download
- SecurityWeek summary
- NIST NVD Entry

Conclusion

CVE-2022-24461 is a serious flaw in Microsoft Visio that attackers can exploit to run code on your computer. Always keep Office and Visio up to date, avoid opening files from suspicious sources, and check the official advisories for more info.

If you’re an IT admin, block suspicious attachments and educate your employees about opening files from strangers. For everyone else: apply those patches!

*Stay safe, and check back for more cybersecurity breakdowns.*

Timeline

Published on: 03/09/2022 17:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 03/14/2022 18:52:00 UTC