CVE-2015-1642
CVE-2015-1642 is a security flaw in Microsoft Office, part of Microsoft Office. Opening a booby-trapped file can let an attacker run their own code through Microsoft Office. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 3 Mar 2022.[1]
Microsoft Office 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 Office. In its words: “Microsoft Office contains a memory corruption vulnerability that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted document.”[1]
The CVE record adds: “Microsoft Office 2007 SP3, 2010 SP2, and 2013 SP1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted document, aka "Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerability."”[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 NVD 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 Office.
Every device with Microsoft Office needs the update.
Exploitation
CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 3 Mar 2022, 2,392 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 24 Mar 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 53%. That’s in the top 2% 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]
- Update Microsoft Office 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.
- 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
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 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 53%.[4] |
See also
Other Microsoft Office flaws
- CVE-2009-0238: remote code execution ·
- CVE-2026-21514: word reliance on untrusted inputs in a security decision ·
- CVE-2026-21509: security feature bypass ·
- CVE-2009-0556: powerPoint code injection ·
- CVE-2007-0671: excel remote code execution ·
- CVE-2023-23397: outlook privilege escalation ·
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-2022-20708, Cisco Small Business RV160, RV260, RV340, and RV345 Series Routers: small business RV series routers stack-based buffer overflow ·
- CVE-2022-20703, Cisco Small Business RV160, RV260, RV340, and RV345 Series Routers: small business RV series routers stack-based buffer overflow ·
- CVE-2022-20701, Cisco Small Business RV160, RV260, RV340, and RV345 Series Routers: small business RV series routers stack-based buffer overflow ·
- CVE-2022-20700, Cisco Small Business RV160, RV260, RV340, and RV345 Series Routers: small business RV series routers stack-based buffer overflow ·
- CVE-2022-20699, Cisco Small Business RV160, RV260, RV340, and RV345 Series Routers: small business RV series routers stack-based buffer overflow ·
Every Microsoft flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in March 2022
References
- ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 3 Mar 2022.
- ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2015-1642 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 15 Aug 2015.
- ^ Microsoft. Advisories and fixes: docs.microsoft.com.
- ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.531, percentile 99.0, 31 Oct 2026.
- CVE Program. “CVE-2015-1642”. 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.