CVE-2009-0563
Microsoft Office Buffer Overflow Vulnerability
Microsoft Office
Stack-based buffer overflow in Microsoft Office Word 2002 SP3, 2003 SP3, and 2007 SP1 and SP2; Microsoft Office for Mac 2004 and 2008; Open XML File Format Converter for Mac; Microsoft Office Word Viewer 2003 SP3; Microsoft Office Word Viewer; and Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats SP1 and SP2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a Word document with a crafted tag containing an invalid length field, aka "Word Buffer Overflow Vulnerability."
Exploitation status
CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities
Listed by CISA on 8 June 2022. US federal agencies were required to remediate it by 22 June 2022.
EPSS — exploitation probability
FIRST puts the probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days at 59.6%, which is higher than 99.1% of all scored vulnerabilities. EPSS is a forecast of activity, not a measure of severity, and it is rescored daily.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Frequently asked questions
Is CVE-2009-0563 being exploited by ransomware groups?
No ransomware group in this database is currently recorded as exploiting CVE-2009-0563.
What does CVE-2009-0563 affect?
CVE-2009-0563 affects Microsoft Office. Stack-based buffer overflow in Microsoft Office Word 2002 SP3, 2003 SP3, and 2007 SP1 and SP2; Microsoft Office for Mac 2004 and 2008; Open XML File Format Converter for Mac; Microsoft Office Word Viewer 2003 SP3; Microsoft Office Word Viewer; and Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats SP1 and SP2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a Word document with a crafted tag containing an invalid length field, aka "Word Buffer Overflow Vulnerability."
How severe is CVE-2009-0563?
CVE-2009-0563 is rated HIGH with a CVSS base score of 7.8. EPSS puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 59.6%, higher than 99.1% of all scored vulnerabilities. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, with a federal remediation deadline of 22 June 2022.
How should organisations respond to CVE-2009-0563?
Apply the vendor patch for Microsoft Office as the first priority, and treat any internet-facing instance as the most urgent. Because this vulnerability is associated with ransomware activity, also review whether the affected systems were reachable before patching, rather than assuming that patching alone closes the incident.