CVE-2025-62199
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2025-62199 is a use-after-free vulnerability in Microsoft Office that allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code on a victim's system by tricking them into opening a malicious Office document. This affects users of vulnerable Microsoft Office versions across Windows, macOS, and potentially other platforms. Successful exploitation requires user interaction but can lead to full system compromise.
💻 Affected Systems
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft 365 Apps
- Microsoft Office LTSC
📦 What is this software?
365 Apps by Microsoft
365 Apps by Microsoft
Excel by Microsoft
Excel 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, malware installation, or persistence mechanisms on the compromised system.
If Mitigated
Limited impact due to application sandboxing, reduced privileges, or macro security settings preventing document execution.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening a malicious document). No public proof-of-concept available at this time.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Check Microsoft Security Update Guide for specific patched versions
Vendor Advisory: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-62199
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Microsoft Office application. 2. Go to File > Account > Update Options > Update Now. 3. Alternatively, use Windows Update for Office updates. 4. Restart system after update installation.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Office macro execution
windowsPrevents Office documents from executing potentially malicious macros
Set Group Policy: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Office 2016 > Security Settings > Trust Center > Disable all macros without notification
Use Office Viewer mode
windowsOpen documents in protected view to prevent automatic code execution
Configure via Group Policy: User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Office 2016 > Security Settings > Trust Center > Protected View
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application whitelisting to block unauthorized Office document execution
- Deploy email filtering to block malicious Office attachments and enable network segmentation
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Office version against patched versions listed in Microsoft Security Update GuideCheck Version:
In Office application: File > Account > About [Application Name]Verify Fix Applied:
Verify Office version matches or exceeds patched version from Microsoft advisory📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual Office process spawning child processes
- Office crashes with memory access violations
- Suspicious document opens from untrusted sources
Network Indicators:
- Outbound connections from Office processes to unknown IPs
- DNS requests for suspicious domains after document open
SIEM Query:
source="office_logs" AND (event_id="1000" OR process_name="winword.exe" OR process_name="excel.exe") AND (command_line CONTAINS "powershell" OR command_line CONTAINS "cmd")