Ethical Hacking News
A legacy vulnerability lives on: despite being patched eight years ago, attackers continue to exploit CVE-2017-11882 as part of various malware campaigns. The ongoing exploitation of this vulnerability highlights the importance of keeping software up-to-date and addressing any potential security concerns as soon as possible.
Malware campaigns continue to target a 2017-patched vulnerability in Microsoft Office Equation Editor. The CVE-2017-11882 vulnerability allows attackers to take control of systems running affected versions of Microsoft Office or WordPad. The vulnerability was identified by security researchers in November 2017 and remains exploitable despite being patched eight years ago. Attackers continue to exploit this vulnerability as part of various malware campaigns, targeting outdated software. Keeping software up-to-date is crucial in preventing exploitation of legacy vulnerabilities like CVE-2017-11882.
Malware campaigns continue to target a 2017-patched vulnerability in Microsoft Office Equation Editor software that was discontinued in 2018. This particular vulnerability, known as CVE-2017-11882, has proven to be a persistent thorn in the side of cybersecurity professionals and system administrators alike.
In November 2017, this remote code execution vulnerability was identified by security researchers. The flaw allowed an attacker with a malicious document to take control of any system running an affected version of Microsoft Office or WordPad. Despite being patched eight years ago, attackers continue to exploit this vulnerability as part of various malware campaigns.
The original Equation Editor software was built upon the more powerful MathType software from Data Science and was retained for longer than it should have been to provide backwards compatibility. However, in 2018, Microsoft removed the original Equation Editor altogether and replaced it with a new successor at the cost of losing support for editing equations in older files.
However, since no currently-supported versions of Office are vulnerable to exploitation through CVE-2017-11882, attackers seem to be eager for a return to the bad old days of easily-exploited Swiss-cheese productivity suites. A recent example of this can be seen in an XLM file that masquerades as a purchase order and contains an exploit targeting the long-since-shuttered Equation Editor.
This particular malware campaign uses VisualBasic-enabled add-in for Microsoft Excel to install a shiny new keylogger on vulnerable systems, effectively compromising system security. It is worth noting that those still running software impacted by CVE-2017-11882 are advised not to do so unless they want to make a nostalgic malware author's day a happy one.
The ongoing exploitation of this legacy vulnerability highlights the importance of keeping software up-to-date and addressing any potential security concerns as soon as possible. As security consultant Xavier Mertens noted in his recent malware analysis, "One of the key messages broadcasted by security professionals is: 'Patch, patch, and patch again.'"
This message rings particularly true in today's digital landscape where attackers continue to adapt and evolve their tactics to exploit even the oldest vulnerabilities. The case of CVE-2017-11882 serves as a cautionary tale about the ongoing importance of keeping software patched and up-to-date.
In conclusion, the ongoing exploitation of Microsoft Office Equation Editor CVE-2017-11882 highlights the need for continued vigilance in the cybersecurity realm. As security professionals, it is crucial that we remain proactive in addressing any potential vulnerabilities and ensuring that our systems are protected from even the oldest and most lingering threats.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/A-Legacy-Vulnerability-Lives-On-The-Ongoing-Exploitation-of-Microsoft-Office-Equation-Editor-CVE-2017-11882-ehn.shtml
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2025/08/13/crooks_cant_let_go_active/
https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/13/crooks_cant_let_go_active/
https://windowsforum.com/threads/cve-2025-21346-understanding-microsoft-office-vulnerability-and-staying-secure.349541/
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-11882
https://www.cvedetails.com/cve/CVE-2017-11882/
Published: Wed Aug 13 12:07:57 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
