Remote code execution occurs when an attacker sends a specially-crafted spreadsheet via email or a malicious link in chat, and the victim opens the file. The attacker could put code in a spreadsheet that runs at the browser level, and the code could then be executed on a victim’s device. Microsoft is aware of limited, targeted attacks against customers using Microsoft Office. An attacker would have to convince the victim to open a specially-crafted spreadsheet, and then have the victim’s device trust the attacker to get the code executed. This vulnerability is not being actively targeted. However, it’s important to be aware of this vulnerability because any attacker could try to leverage it to spread malware or conduct a click fraud attack. For example, an attacker could send a spreadsheet with malicious content via email, and then have the victim open the email on their device.

Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability - CVE-2022 -24473

This vulnerability is caused by the lack of input validation of malicious code in Microsoft Excel and Word documents. The attacker can only have a limited impact on victims by sending targeted email or chat messages with malicious links. The attacker can spread malware to the victims, but it’s difficult for them to exploit this vulnerability without convincing their victim to open a specially-crafted spreadsheet.

Microsoft Office Vulnerability Overview

This vulnerability impacts Microsoft Office, including Excel and Word. If a user opens this file on their device, it could be exploited to run code at the browser level. In order to exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would have to convince the victim to open a specially-crafted spreadsheet with malicious content, and then have the victim’s device trust the attacker to get the code executed.
Microsoft is aware of limited, targeted attacks against customers using Microsoft Office. An attacker would have to convince the victim to open a specially-crafted spreadsheet with malicious content in order for the attack to succeed.

Microsoft Office and Click Fraud

Software vulnerabilities like this one have been a growing problem for software providers, including Microsoft. Click fraud is a form of online crime, where attackers use automated programs to click on ads or web links in order to generate revenue. Click fraud seems like a relatively harmless activity, but the revenue generated from click fraud has the potential to be quite large.

Microsoft Office Remote Code Execution Vulnerability - CVE-2022-24473

Microsoft has released this advisory to inform that there is a Remote Code Execution vulnerability on Microsoft Office. This vulnerability allows an attacker to execute code on a victim's device. However, Microsoft does not believe the vulnerability is currently being actively exploited, and it's likely patched in the latest update.
This attack vector could be used for malicious purposes, such as spreading malware or conducting a click fraud attack.

Vulnerability overview:

Microsoft is aware of limited, targeted attacks against customers using Microsoft Office. An attacker would have to convince the victim to open a specially-crafted spreadsheet, and then have the victim’s device trust the attacker to get the code executed. This vulnerability is not being actively targeted. However, it’s important to be aware of this vulnerability because any attacker could try to leverage it to spread malware or conduct a click fraud attack. For example, an attacker could send a spreadsheet with malicious content via email, and then have the victim open the email on their device.

Timeline

Published on: 04/15/2022 19:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 04/22/2022 01:39:00 UTC

References