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CVE-2014-1761

From Exploited flaws, HARD’s guide to the flaws being used in attacks · Checked
This article is about a flaw in Microsoft Word. For every flaw being used in attacks, see Exploited flaws; for Microsoft’s, see Microsoft flaws being used in attacks.

CVE-2014-1761 is a security flaw in Microsoft Word, part of Microsoft Office. Attackers can run their own code on Microsoft Word. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 15 Feb 2022.[1]

Microsoft Word is in things households have, such as phones, computers, browsers and everyday apps, so the fix matters at home as much as at work. Microsoft has published a fix or advice.

Description

CISA calls it a memory corruption in Microsoft Word. In its words: “Microsoft Word contains a memory corruption vulnerability which when exploited could allow for remote code execution.”[1]

The CVE record adds: “Microsoft Word 2003 SP3, 2007 SP3, 2010 SP1 and SP2, 2013, and 2013 RT; Word Viewer; Office Compatibility Pack SP3; Office for Mac 2011; Word Automation Services on SharePoint Server 2010 SP1 and SP2 and 2013; Office Web Apps 2010 SP1 and SP2; and Office Web Apps Server 2013 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via crafted RTF data, as exploited in the wild in March 2014.”[2]

The underlying weakness is memory buffer error (CWE-119), in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.

It scores 7.8 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it high, scored by the organisation that published the CVE using CVSS 3.1.[2]

Affected versions

NVD’s record doesn’t list version ranges for it; Microsoft’s advisory has them[3]. CISA names the product as Microsoft Word.

Every device with Microsoft Word needs the update.

Exploitation

CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 15 Feb 2022, 2,884 days after it was made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 15 Aug 2022 to fix it.[1]

FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at 78%. That’s in the top 1% of the flaws it scores.[4]

CISA assesses it as not automatable: each attack takes some work.

CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.

Fix

Microsoft has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s required action: “Apply updates per vendor instructions.”[1]

  1. Update Microsoft Word now.On Windows: Settings, Windows Update, Check for updates, then restart. Office updates come the same way, or from any Office app: File, Account, Update Options. Then turn on automatic updates, so the next fix arrives on its own.
  2. If there’s no update, stop using it.CISA’s advice when a flaw being used in attacks has no fix is to stop using the product until it does.

Timeline

DateEvent
The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 7.8.[2]
CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks.[1]
CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1]
FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at 78%.[4]

See also

Other Microsoft Word flaws

Other Microsoft flaws

  • CVE-2026-96951, Microsoft Windows: command injection ·
  • CVE-2026-65660, Microsoft SharePoint: code injection ·
  • CVE-2026-85880, Microsoft Windows: heap-based buffer overflow ·
  • CVE-2026-81963, Microsoft Windows: link following ·
  • CVE-2019-1068, Microsoft SQL Server: remote code execution ·

Other memory buffer error flaws

  • CVE-2026-88779, Citrix NetScaler: improper restriction of operations within the bounds of a memory buffer ·
  • CVE-2026-88772, Citrix NetScaler: improper restriction of operations within the bounds of a memory buffer ·
  • CVE-2026-88771, Citrix NetScaler: improper input validation ·
  • CVE-2026-8452, Citrix NetScaler ADC and NetScaler Gateway: improper restriction of operations within the bounds of a memory buffer ·
  • CVE-2009-3459, Adobe Acrobat and Reader: heap-based buffer overflow ·

Added the same day

  • CVE-2022-24086, Adobe Commerce and Magento Open Source: improper input validation ·
  • CVE-2022-0609, Chrome and other Chromium browsers: use-after-free ·
  • CVE-2019-0752, Microsoft Internet Explorer: type confusion ·
  • CVE-2018-8174, Microsoft Windows: vBScript engine out-of-bounds write ·
  • CVE-2018-20250, WinRAR: absolute path traversal ·

Every Microsoft flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in February 2022

References

  1. ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “Microsoft Word Memory Corruption Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 15 Feb 2022.
  2. ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2014-1761 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 25 Mar 2014.
  3. ^ Microsoft. Advisories and fixes: docs.microsoft.com.
  4. ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.777, percentile 99.6, 31 Oct 2026.
  5. CVE Program. “CVE-2014-1761”. The official CVE record.

This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.