Microsoft Office/WordPad Remote Code Execution Vulnerability w/Windows

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Office and WordPad parse specially crafted files. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.

Exploitation of this vulnerability requires that a user open or preview a specially crafted file with an affected version of Microsoft Office or WordPad. In an email attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted file to the user and then convincing the user to open the file.

The update addresses the vulnerability by correcting the way that Microsoft Office and WordPad parses specially crafted files, and by enabling API functionality in Windows that Microsoft Office and WordPad will leverage to resolve the identified issue.