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CVE-2017-0199

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

CVE-2017-0199 is a security flaw in Microsoft Office and WordPad, part of Microsoft Office. Opening a booby-trapped file can let an attacker run their own code through Microsoft Office and WordPad. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 3 Nov 2021, and says ransomware gangs have used it.[1]

Microsoft Office and WordPad 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 remote code execution in Microsoft Office and WordPad. In its words: “Microsoft Office and WordPad contain an unspecified vulnerability due to the way the applications parse specially crafted files. Successful exploitation allows for remote code execution.”[1]

The CVE record adds: “Microsoft Office 2007 SP3, Microsoft Office 2010 SP2, Microsoft Office 2013 SP1, Microsoft Office 2016, Microsoft Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted document, aka "Microsoft Office/WordPad Remote Code Execution Vulnerability w/Windows API."”[2]

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 and WordPad.

Every device with Microsoft Office and WordPad needs the update.

Exploitation

CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 3 Nov 2021, 1,666 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 3 May 2022 to fix it.[1] CISA says ransomware gangs have used it.

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 99%. 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 Office and WordPad 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, noting that ransomware gangs have used it.[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 99%.[4]

See also

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 ·

Similar flaws

  • CVE-2026-111357, Ivanti Connect Secure: missing authentication for critical function ·
  • CVE-2026-97229, GitLab Community Edition and Enterprise Edition: integer overflow or wraparound ·
  • CVE-2026-76418, Cisco Secure Firewall ASA Software and Cisco Secure FTD Software: unchecked return value to NULL pointer dereference ·
  • CVE-2026-48356, Adobe Commerce and Magento: unrestricted upload of file with dangerous type ·
  • CVE-2026-111497, Google Brotli: unchecked return value ·

Added the same day

  • CVE-2021-42258, BQE BillQuick Web Suite: SQL injection ·
  • CVE-2021-42013, Apache HTTP Server: path traversal ·
  • CVE-2021-41773, Apache HTTP Server: path traversal ·
  • CVE-2021-40539, Zoho ManageEngine: aDSelfService plus authentication bypass ·
  • CVE-2021-40444, Microsoft MSHTML: remote code execution ·

Every Microsoft flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in November 2021

References

  1. ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “Microsoft Office and WordPad Remote Code Execution Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 3 Nov 2021.
  2. ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2017-0199 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 12 Apr 2017.
  3. ^ Microsoft. Advisories and fixes: portal.msrc.microsoft.com.
  4. ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.995, percentile 99.9, 31 Oct 2026.
  5. CVE Program. “CVE-2017-0199”. 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.