A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user. If the current user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker could take control of the affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.
Exploitation of the vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted file with an affected version of Microsoft Office software. In an email attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending the specially crafted file to the user and convincing the user to open the file. In a web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a website (or leverage a compromised website that accepts or hosts user-provided content) that contains a specially crafted file designed to exploit the vulnerability. An attacker would have no way to force users to visit the website. Instead, an attacker would have to convince users to click a link, typically by way of an enticement in an email or instant message, and then convince them to open the specially crafted file.
Note that the Preview Pane is not an attack vector for this vulnerability.
The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how Office handles objects in memory.
## Where it's fixed | Platform | Product | Fixed in | Fix | Released | |---|---|---|---|---| | Microsoft | Microsoft Office 2010 Service Pack 2 (32-bit editions) | | [KB3178686](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/microsoft/kb3178686.md) | Mar 14, 2017 | | Microsoft | Microsoft Office 2010 Service Pack 2 (64-bit editions) | | [KB3178686](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/microsoft/kb3178686.md) | Mar 14, 2017 | | Microsoft | Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack Service Pack 3 | | [KB3178682](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/microsoft/kb3178682.md) | Mar 14, 2017 | | Microsoft | Microsoft Word 2007 Service Pack 3 | | [KB3178683](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/microsoft/kb3178683.md) | Mar 14, 2017 | | Microsoft | Microsoft Word 2010 Service Pack 2 (32-bit editions) | | [KB3178687](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/microsoft/kb3178687.md) | Mar 14, 2017 | | Microsoft | Microsoft Word 2010 Service Pack 2 (64-bit editions) | | [KB3178687](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/microsoft/kb3178687.md) | Mar 14, 2017 | | Microsoft | Microsoft Word for Mac 2011 | | [KB3198809](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/microsoft/kb3198809.md) | Mar 14, 2017 | --- Data as of 2026-11-07T12:40:37Z UTC. Source: Patchblox Patch Radar (https://patchblox.com/security/patch-radar). Patchblox finds out-of-date software on Windows, macOS and Linux and updates it through release rings: https://patchblox.com/demo