CVE-2025-29792 - Use After Free Vulnerability in Microsoft Office Leads to Local Privilege Escalation Exploit

As our digital age progresses, it becomes increasingly important for individuals and organizations to protect their digital systems from unauthorized access and potential compromises. One such vulnerability that has recently surfaced is the CVE-2025-29792. This is a use after free vulnerability present in Microsoft Office which, if exploited, could allow an attacker with authorized access to escalate their privileges locally.

The CVE-2025-29792 vulnerability is significant, as it allows hackers to manipulate an authorized user's system, thereby potentially gaining further unauthorized access. In this post, we will delve into the details of this vulnerability, examine a code snippet, provide relevant references, and discuss the exploit it presents.

Vulnerability Details

The CVE-2025-29792 vulnerability is a result of a use after free issue found in Microsoft Office. It primarily affects users who have enabled the feature of the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures system (CVE). In essence, this vulnerability occurs when an object or variable is accessed after it has been deleted or released. Due to the nature of memory allocation and deallocation, these references can sometimes still be used by other processes, potentially allowing malicious code execution.

In the context of Microsoft Office, this vulnerability arises when an attacker, with access to an authorized user's workstation, tries to access specific code references after they have been released. If successful, the attacker can then run malicious code to exploit the use after free vulnerability and potentially gain elevated privileges.

Code Snippet

To illustrate the issue of use after free in the CVE-2025-29792 vulnerability, consider the following code snippet:

void CVE_2025_29792() {
    // Allocate memory for Office Object
    OfficeObject* pObj = new OfficeObject();

    // Perform specific actions using the object
    pObj->DoAction();

    // Release the object
    delete pObj;
    pObj = nullptr;
}

In this code snippet, we create an OfficeObject which is accessed and utilized. Upon completion, the object is released, and its reference is set to nullptr. However, if an attacker is successful in latching on to the code at this point, the use-after-free vulnerability can be exploited.

Original References

To obtain more information about the CVE-2025-29792 vulnerability, you can refer to the following resources:

- CVE-2025-29792 Official Documentation
- Microsoft Security Advisory

Attacker manages to introduce malicious code that attempts to access and use a released object.

3. If successful, the attacker can use the vulnerability to escalate their privileges locally, thereby gaining further unauthorized access to the target system.

It is essential to note that this exploit relies heavily on the attacker already having authorized access to a user's workstation. As a result, it is crucial for users and organizations to ensure their systems are secure and to employ best practices for digital security.

Conclusion

Security vulnerabilities, such as the CVE-2025-29792, illustrate the importance of staying informed and up-to-date with the latest security patches and updates. As these vulnerabilities become apparent, it is the responsibility of both individual users and organizations to protect their systems from potential threats. By staying informed and practicing good security measures, one can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access and system compromise.

Timeline

Published on: 04/08/2025 18:16:05 UTC
Last modified on: 05/06/2025 17:03:09 UTC