CVE-2025-49702
📋 TL;DR
A type confusion vulnerability in Microsoft Office allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable systems by tricking users into opening malicious documents. This affects users running unpatched versions of Microsoft Office on Windows systems. The vulnerability requires user interaction but can lead to full system compromise.
💻 Affected Systems
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft 365 Apps
📦 What is this software?
365 Apps by Microsoft
365 Apps by Microsoft
Office by Microsoft
Office by Microsoft
Office by Microsoft
Office by Microsoft
Office by Microsoft
Office Long Term Servicing Channel by Microsoft
View all CVEs affecting Office Long Term Servicing Channel →
Office Long Term Servicing Channel by Microsoft
View all CVEs affecting Office Long Term Servicing Channel →
Office Long Term Servicing Channel by Microsoft
View all CVEs affecting Office Long Term Servicing Channel →
Office Long Term Servicing Channel by Microsoft
View all CVEs affecting Office Long Term Servicing Channel →
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system takeover with administrative privileges, data theft, ransomware deployment, and lateral movement across the network.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation leading to data exfiltration, credential theft, and installation of persistent backdoors.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper application sandboxing, restricted user privileges, and security software blocking malicious payloads.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires social engineering to deliver malicious document. No public exploit code available at this time.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Check Microsoft Security Update Guide for specific version
Vendor Advisory: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-49702
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open any Office application
2. Go to File > Account > Update Options
3. Select 'Update Now'
4. Restart computer when prompted
5. Verify update through Windows Update history
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Block Office macros from untrusted sources
windowsConfigure Office to block macros from untrusted locations
Set registry key: HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Excel\Security\AccessVBOM = 0
Use Protected View
windowsForce Office to open all documents from internet in Protected View
Set registry key: HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Word\Security\ProtectedView = 1
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application whitelisting to block unauthorized Office document execution
- Deploy email filtering to block malicious Office attachments and enable sandboxing
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Office version against patched versions in Microsoft advisoryCheck Version:
Open Word > File > Account > About WordVerify Fix Applied:
Verify Office version matches patched version and check Windows Update history📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Office crash logs with memory access violations
- Windows Event Logs showing Office spawning unusual child processes
Network Indicators:
- Outbound connections from Office processes to unknown IPs
- DNS requests for suspicious domains after document opening
SIEM Query:
Office.exe AND (ProcessCreation OR FileCreation) WHERE ParentProcess != explorer.exe