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HighCISA KEVExploited in the wildPublic exploit

Microsoft Office Equation Editor Remote Code Execution

IdentifiersCVE-2017-11882CWE-121

CVE-2017-11882 is a remote code execution vulnerability in Microsoft Office 2007 SP3, Office 2010 SP2, Office 2013 SP1, and Office 2016 caused by improper handling of objects in memory in the legacy Microsoft Equation Editor component (EQNEDT32.EXE). Multiple sources in the provided content specifically identify the flaw as affecting Equation Editor and describe it as a stack buffer overflow / memory corruption issue reachable through a specially crafted Office document, commonly embedded as an OLE Equation.3 object in RTF, DOC, DOCX, or Excel-based lure files. Exploitation typically occurs when Office invokes EQNEDT32.EXE to process the malicious equation object, leading to corruption of process memory and redirection of execution into attacker-controlled shellcode. Observed exploit chains in the content show the vulnerability being used to download and launch follow-on payloads via LOLBins such as mshta.exe, PowerShell, or direct downloader shellcode.

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Successful exploitation allows arbitrary code execution in the security context of the current user. In practical campaigns documented in the content, attackers used the flaw for initial access and malware delivery, including Agent Tesla, LokiBot/Loki, FormBook, Pony/FAREIT, Remcos RAT, SmokeLoader, Ande Loader, XWorm, and SideWinder tooling. Impact therefore includes full execution of attacker payloads on the victim host, credential theft, persistence establishment, downloader execution, espionage collection, and potential follow-on lateral movement or ransomware staging depending on the privileges of the logged-in user.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

If immediate patching is not possible, disable or block the legacy Microsoft Equation Editor COM component / EQNEDT32.EXE so Office documents cannot invoke it. Additional mitigations noted in the provided content include applying EMET or Windows Defender Exploit Guard protections to eqnedt32.exe and enabling system-wide ASLR to disrupt known exploitation techniques. More broadly, reduce exposure by blocking or sandboxing untrusted Office attachments, restricting OLE object execution, and hardening phishing defenses for document-borne payload delivery.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Apply Microsoft's security update for CVE-2017-11882 and upgrade affected Microsoft Office installations to patched versions. Organizations should prioritize patching legacy Office deployments, especially Office 2007 SP3, 2010 SP2, 2013 SP1, and 2016, and retire unsupported/end-of-life Office software where possible. Because this vulnerability has remained heavily exploited for years, remediation should also include identifying and replacing systems that still expose the legacy Equation Editor component.
PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

9 valid exploits after Mallory filtered fakes, detection scripts, and README-only repos (4 hidden).

VALID 9 / 13 TOTALView more in app
CVE-2017-11882MaturityPoCVerified exploit

This repository provides a proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit for CVE-2017-11882, a well-known vulnerability in Microsoft Office's Equation Editor. The repository contains two Python scripts, 'poc.py' and 'poc3.py', both of which generate a malicious RTF file that exploits the vulnerability. The user supplies a command to execute (-c) and an output file name (-o); the script embeds the command into a specially crafted OLE object within the RTF. When a vulnerable version of Microsoft Office opens the RTF, the embedded command is executed on the victim's system. The scripts differ slightly in implementation (e.g., use of 'binascii' in 'poc3.py'), but both serve the same purpose. No network endpoints or hardcoded IPs/domains are present; the exploit is delivered via a file. The repository is a clear, functional PoC and does not include weaponized or framework-based code.

imkidz0Disclosed Aug 13, 2025pythonlocal
CVE-2017-11882MaturityPoCVerified exploit

This repository provides two Python scripts (Command109b_CVE-2017-11882.py and Command43b_CVE-2017-11882.py) that generate malicious RTF files exploiting CVE-2017-11882, a critical vulnerability in Microsoft Office's Equation Editor. The scripts allow the user to specify an arbitrary command (up to 109 or 43 bytes, depending on the script) to be executed on the victim's system when the RTF is opened. The payload is embedded in the RTF as a specially crafted OLE object. The repository includes a sample exploit RTF (example/exploit.rtf) and a README with usage instructions and references. The exploit is operational, allowing for arbitrary command execution, and can be used to launch local executables or fetch and execute remote scripts (e.g., via mshta or regsvr32). No hardcoded network endpoints are present, but the exploit can be configured to fetch remote payloads by specifying a URL in the command argument.

RidterDisclosed Nov 21, 2017pythonfile
CVE-2017-11882MaturityPoCVerified exploit

This repository provides a working exploit for CVE-2017-11882, a critical vulnerability in Microsoft Office's Equation Editor (EQNEDT32.EXE). The main exploit script, 'CVE-2017-11882.py', is a Python program that generates a malicious RTF file. This RTF file, when opened in a vulnerable version of Microsoft Word, triggers the vulnerability and allows arbitrary code execution. The exploit supports two main modes: (1) executing a user-supplied command on the target system (using WinExec), and (2) injecting and executing arbitrary shellcode (such as a reverse shell) in a new process (EQNEDT32.EXE), which can be specified with the '-i' flag. The maximum payload size is approximately 17,967 bytes. The script automatically selects the appropriate RTF template based on payload size. The repository includes: - 'CVE-2017-11882.py': The main exploit generator script. - 'shellcode.c': Example C code for custom shellcode injection, useful for advanced payloads. - 'README.md': Detailed usage instructions, including example commands for generating payloads (e.g., with msfvenom) and for debugging the exploit. - 'LICENSE': MIT license. A notable fingerprintable endpoint is the Windows registry key for EQNEDT32.EXE, referenced for debugging purposes. The exploit is operational and can be used to generate weaponized RTF files for red teaming or penetration testing against unpatched Microsoft Office installations.

rip1sDisclosed Nov 21, 2017pythoncfile
CVE-2017-11882MaturityPoCFrameworkmetasploitVerified exploit

This repository provides a working exploit for CVE-2017-11882, a critical remote code execution vulnerability in Microsoft Office's Equation Editor. The main exploit is implemented in 'Command_CVE-2017-11882.py', a Python script that generates a malicious RTF file embedding a specially crafted OLE object. When a vulnerable version of Microsoft Office opens this RTF, it triggers arbitrary command execution on the victim's system. The script allows the attacker to specify any command to be executed, and outputs the exploit RTF file. The repository also includes 'PS_shell.rb', a Metasploit module that sets up an HTTP server to deliver a PowerShell-based HTA payload. This module provides a DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange) command for use in Office documents, which, when executed, causes the victim's system to fetch and run a payload from the attacker's server using mshta.exe. The module is designed for integration with the Metasploit framework and can deliver customizable payloads. An example malicious RTF file is provided in 'example/exploit.rtf', and a brief README points to a Chinese-language blog post explaining the vulnerability. The overall structure is typical for a proof-of-concept exploit repository, with both standalone and framework-based exploitation options. The main attack vectors are malicious file delivery (RTF) and network-based payload retrieval (HTTP/HTA).

starnightcyberDisclosed Nov 22, 2017pythonrubyfilenetwork
CVE-2017-11882-metasploitMaturityPoCFrameworkmetasploitVerified exploit

This repository contains a Metasploit module (cve_2017_11882.rb) that exploits CVE-2017-11882, a remote code execution vulnerability in Microsoft Office Word's Equation Editor. The exploit works by generating a malicious RTF file (using a template, cve-2017-11882.rtf) that, when opened by a vulnerable version of Word, triggers code execution via mshta.exe. The module sets up an HTTP server to deliver an HTA file containing the attacker's payload. The payload is customizable and can be any Metasploit-supported Windows payload (e.g., reverse shell, Meterpreter). The README provides installation instructions for integrating the module and template into a Metasploit environment. The main attack vectors are file format (malicious RTF) and network (HTTP delivery of the HTA payload). The endpoints include the file paths for the module and template, as well as the HTTP URL used to deliver the payload. The exploit is weaponized, as it is fully integrated into Metasploit and supports arbitrary payloads.

0x09ALDisclosed Nov 21, 2017rubyfileformatnetwork
CVE-2017-11882MaturityPoCVerified exploit

This repository provides a proof-of-concept exploit for CVE-2017-11882, a vulnerability in Microsoft Office's Equation Editor. The main exploit is implemented in 'webdav_exec_CVE-2017-11882.py', a Python script that generates a malicious RTF file containing OLE objects. When the generated RTF file is opened on a vulnerable Windows system, it triggers the WebClient service and executes an attacker-controlled executable from a remote WebDAV share (specified as a UNC path, e.g., \\attacker_ip\ff\1.exe). The repository includes a sample exploit RTF file in the 'example' directory and a README with usage instructions and background information. The exploit demonstrates arbitrary code execution via a crafted document, leveraging both file-based (malicious RTF) and network-based (WebDAV/UNC path) attack vectors. The code is a functional PoC and does not include advanced payload customization or evasion features.

embediDisclosed Nov 20, 2017pythonfilenetwork
RTF_11882_0802MaturityPoCVerified exploit

This repository contains a Python proof-of-concept exploit for the Microsoft Office Equation Editor vulnerabilities CVE-2017-11882 and CVE-2018-0802. The main file, RTF_11882_0802.py, is a command-line tool that generates a malicious RTF file. The user specifies a command to execute on the target system and the output file name for the crafted RTF. Optionally, a template RTF can be provided. The exploit works by embedding a specially crafted OLE object into the RTF, which triggers the vulnerability in the Equation Editor component when the file is opened in a vulnerable version of Microsoft Office on Windows. The exploit does not contain any hardcoded payload; instead, it allows the user to specify any command, making it a flexible proof-of-concept. The repository also includes a README with usage instructions and references to research and advisories. No network endpoints or external IPs/domains are present; the attack vector is via a malicious file delivered to the victim.

RidterDisclosed Jan 12, 2018pythonfile
SignHereMaturityPoCVerified exploit

This repository provides an operational exploit tool for CVE-2017-11882, a memory corruption vulnerability in Microsoft Office's Equation Editor. The main script, SignHere.py, generates malicious RTF documents that exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code when opened in a vulnerable version of Microsoft Office (2007 SP3, 2010 SP2, 2013 SP1, or 2016). The tool allows the attacker to specify a Windows command, a PowerShell command, or a binary payload to be executed on the victim's machine. It can also generate a VBScript-based HTA payload (pay.hta) for use with mshta.exe, and includes a simple HTTP server to host payloads and a TCP listener for reverse shell connections. The exploit is highly customizable, supporting both direct command execution and file download/execution scenarios. The codebase is organized into a main script and supporting libraries for payload generation, RTF exploit crafting, server hosting, and listener functionality. The attack vector is primarily through malicious file delivery (RTF), with network-based payload retrieval and optional reverse shell capabilities.

Retr0-codeDisclosed Jan 25, 2021pythonfilenetwork
CVE-2017-11882MaturityPoCFrameworkmetasploitVerified exploit

This repository provides multiple proof-of-concept and operational exploits for CVE-2017-11882, a critical remote code execution vulnerability in the Microsoft Office Equation Editor (EQNEDT32.EXE). The exploit targets Office versions 2003 through 2016 on Windows. The repository includes three Python scripts that generate malicious RTF files embedding a payload to execute arbitrary commands on the victim's system when the file is opened in a vulnerable Office installation. The payload can be customized, for example to launch calc.exe or to execute mshta to fetch and run a remote payload (e.g., from http://192.168.43.165:8080/11882). The repository also contains a Metasploit module (cve_2017_11882.rb) that automates the generation and delivery of the exploit, supporting integration with Metasploit's payloads such as Meterpreter reverse shells. The attack vector is primarily via malicious document files delivered to the victim, with optional network callbacks for payload delivery. The code is operational and can be used to generate weaponized documents for red teaming or penetration testing. The README provides detailed usage instructions and highlights the affected Office versions, as well as mitigation steps.

littlebin404Disclosed Aug 14, 2019pythonrubyfilenetwork
EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType
Microsoft CorporationOfficeapplication

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What this page doesn’t show

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Exposure mapping

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Threat actor evidence48

Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.

Associated malware44

Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.

Detection signatures1

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity37

Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.