dbcve.org
VisioApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2015-2557

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2015-10-14
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
Buffer overflow in Microsoft Visio 2007 SP3 and 2010 SP2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted UML data in an Office document, aka "Microsoft Office Memory Corruption 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

Buffer overflow vulnerability in Microsoft Visio 2007 SP3 and 2010 SP2 allows arbitrary code execution when processing crafted UML data embedded in malicious Office documents. The flaw stems from improper memory handling during UML parsing, enabling an attacker to overwrite memory and hijack execution flow.

MitigationApply Microsoft security updates for affected Visio versions; consider upgrading to supported versions if patches are unavailable for end-of-life releases.

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
VisioApplication
Affected:= 2007= 2010

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. Verify Visio installation
    Check if Microsoft Visio is installed on the system by reviewing installed programs in Add/Remove Programs or using system inventory tools
    Affected if Visio 2007 SP3 or Visio 2010 SP2 is installed
  2. Confirm installed Visio version number
    Locate the Visio executable (typically in Program Files) or check the version through the application Help About dialog, then compare against affected versions 2007 and 2010
    Affected if The installed version matches 2007 or 2010 specifically
  3. Determine if UML data processing is possible
    Check whether the Visio installation includes UML template support or the ability to open documents containing embedded UML diagrams
    Affected if UML features are available and the system can process Visio or Office documents containing UML data
  4. Assess file handling configuration
    Review file association settings and trust center settings to determine if Visio automatically opens files or if preview features are enabled
    Affected if The system is configured to automatically open or preview Visio files without user confirmation
  5. Check for suspicious file sources
    Identify if the system frequently handles Visio files from external or untrusted sources such as email attachments or downloads
    Affected if Users routinely open Visio files from untrusted sources containing crafted UML data

The environment is affected if Microsoft Visio 2007 SP3 or 2010 SP2 is installed and the system can process or open documents containing crafted UML data.

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 Microsoft security updates for affected Visio versions; consider upgrading to supported versions if patches are unavailable for end-of-life releases.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Microsoft Visio 2016 or later (current supported version)

  1. 1. Determine current Microsoft Visio version installed (Help > About Microsoft Visio)
  2. 2. Uninstall Microsoft Visio 2007 or 2010 if present
  3. 3. Download Microsoft Visio 2016 or current supported version from the Microsoft 365 portal or Volume Licensing Service Center
  4. 4. Install the newer Visio version
  5. 5. Apply all latest Windows and Office updates via Windows Update
  6. 6. Verify the installation was successful by opening Visio
Caveat Upgrading from Visio 2007/2010 to 2016 may require new product license; some legacy VBA macros or older add-ins may need updating; file format compatibility should be tested

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

Fix this in Visio Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
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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-2015-2557 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
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