CVE-2025-62200
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code on a victim's system by exploiting an untrusted pointer dereference in Microsoft Excel. Attackers can achieve this by tricking users into opening a malicious Excel file. All users running vulnerable versions of Microsoft Excel are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Microsoft Excel
📦 What is this software?
365 Apps by Microsoft
365 Apps by Microsoft
Excel by Microsoft
Excel 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 →
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with attacker gaining full control of the victim's computer, enabling data theft, ransomware deployment, or lateral movement within the network.
Likely Case
Local code execution leading to malware installation, credential theft, or data exfiltration from the compromised system.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper application sandboxing and user privilege restrictions preventing system-wide compromise.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening a malicious file). Attack complexity is medium due to the need to craft a specific malicious Excel document.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Check Microsoft Security Update Guide for specific version numbers
Vendor Advisory: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-62200
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open any Office application. 2. Go to File > Account > Update Options > Update Now. 3. Alternatively, use Windows Update for Microsoft 365 installations. 4. Restart computer after update completes.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Block Excel file types via Group Policy
windowsPrevent opening of Excel files from untrusted sources using file block settings
Configure via Group Policy: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Office 2016 > Security Settings > File Block
Enable Protected View for all files
windowsForce Excel to open all files from external sources in Protected View mode
File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Protected View > Check all three options
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable Excel file associations and use alternative spreadsheet software temporarily
- Implement application whitelisting to block unauthorized Excel execution
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Excel version via File > Account > About Excel and compare with patched versions in Microsoft advisoryCheck Version:
In Excel: File > Account > About Excel (Windows) or Excel > About Excel (macOS)Verify Fix Applied:
Verify Office updates are installed via Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features > View installed updates📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Windows Event Logs: Application crashes of EXCEL.EXE with exception codes
- Office telemetry logs showing file opens from unusual locations
Network Indicators:
- Outbound connections from Excel process to unknown external IPs
- DNS queries for suspicious domains from user workstations
SIEM Query:
source="windows" AND process="EXCEL.EXE" AND (event_id=1000 OR exception_code=0xC0000005)