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OfficeApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2015-2466

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2015-08-15
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Microsoft Office 2007 SP3, 2010 SP2, 2013 SP1, and 2013 RT SP1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted template, aka "Microsoft Office Remote Code Execution Vulnerability."

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

This is a Remote Code Execution vulnerability in Microsoft Office that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code by tricking users into opening a specially crafted Office template file. The vulnerability affects Office 2007 SP3, 2010 SP2, 2013 SP1, and 2013 RT SP1. Successful exploitation gives the attacker the same privileges as the logged-on user.

MitigationApply the relevant Microsoft security update (MS15-081) to all affected Office installations, or upgrade to a patched version of Office. Implement user awareness training to avoid opening untrusted Office files.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
OfficeApplication
Affected:= 2007= 2010= 2013

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
M
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify installed Microsoft Office version
    Open Word/Excel/PowerPoint, go to File > Account > About [App], or check registry key: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\ClickToRun\Configuration or HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\[Version]\Common\InstallRoot
    Affected if Version is 2007 SP3, 2010 SP2, 2013 SP1, or 2013 RT SP1 exactly (not patched)
  2. Confirm Office service pack level
    In Office app, go to File > Account > About, or check Add/Remove Programs for the installed Service Pack update KB number
    Affected if Service Pack is not applied or is earlier than the MS15-081 patch level
  3. Verify patch MS15-081 is installed
    Open Windows Update > View update history, or check registry HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Component Based Servicing\Packages for patches corresponding to MS15-081
    Affected if MS15-081 security update is NOT installed on the system
  4. Audit recent Office template file activity
    Review Windows Event Logs under Microsoft Office Alerts, or check file explorer recent files for .oft, .dot, .dotx, .dotm files opened from untrusted sources
    Affected if Users have opened specially crafted Office template files from untrusted or unknown sources

The system is vulnerable if the installed Office version matches 2007 SP3, 2010 SP2, 2013 SP1, or 2013 RT SP1 and the MS15-081 security update has not been applied.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the relevant Microsoft security update (MS15-081) to all affected Office installations, or upgrade to a patched version of Office. Implement user awareness training to avoid opening untrusted Office files.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Upgrade to Microsoft 365, Office 2019, or Office 2021 (depending on licensing). For Office 2007 and 2010 specifically, these versions are end-of-life and require complete migration to newer Office versions.

  1. Verify the currently installed Microsoft Office version by opening any Office application, going to File > Account > About [App]
  2. For Office 2007: Apply security update KB2881073 (released July 14, 2015 as part of MS15-070) or upgrade to a supported Office version
  3. For Office 2010: Apply security update KB2881070 (released July 14, 2015 as part of MS15-070) or upgrade to a supported Office version
  4. For Office 2013: Apply security update KB2881071 (released July 14, 2015 as part of MS15-070) or upgrade to Microsoft 365/Office 2021/Office 2019
  5. If unable to patch immediately, disable macros and restrict execution of files from untrusted sources via File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings
  6. Verify the update was successful by checking Windows Update history for the corresponding KB number
Caveat Office 2007 and 2010 are no longer supported; moving to Microsoft 365 or newer Office requires license acquisition and may require workflow adjustments for users unfamiliar with the updated interface

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Office Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2015-2466 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data