# CVE-2018-0802: Microsoft Office Memory Corruption

> Remote attackers can execute arbitrary code via crafted documents exploiting memory corruption in Microsoft Office Equation Editor.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Yes, since 3 Nov 2021 (CISA KEV), used in ransomware
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 10 Jan 2018
- **Updated:** 21 Oct 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-x323-9hmm-gv8q

## What is CVE-2018-0802?

CVE-2018-0802 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Microsoft Office, published on 10 Jan 2018. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Equation Editor in Microsoft Office 2007, Microsoft Office 2010, Microsoft Office 2013, and Microsoft Office 2016 allow a remote code execution vulnerability due to the way objects are handled in memory, aka "Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerability". This CVE is unique from CVE-2018-0797 and CVE-2018-0812.

Weakness: CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-0802?

It affects 3 products.


Products: Microsoft Office, Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack, Microsoft Word.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-0802?

No fix has been published for CVE-2018-0802 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available. US federal agencies must fix it by 3 May 2022.

## Is CVE-2018-0802 being exploited?

Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2018-0802 in the wild since at least 3 Nov 2021, including in ransomware campaigns.

Public exploit code:

- PoC Exploit for CVE-2018-0802 (and optionally CVE-2017-11882) (github_poc): https://github.com/rxwx/CVE-2018-0802
- PoC for CVE-2018-0802 And CVE-2017-11882 (github_poc): https://github.com/Ridter/RTF_11882_0802
- Exploit the vulnerability to execute the calculator (github_poc): https://github.com/zldww2011/CVE-2018-0802_POC
- https://github.com/likekabin/CVE-2018-0802_CVE-2017-11882 (github_poc): https://github.com/likekabin/CVE-2018-0802_CVE-2017-11882
- Pada bulan maret 2023, terdapat sample baru yang terindentifikasi sebagai malware. Malware tersebut berasal dari file berekstensi.xls dan .doc dan dikenal dengan nama “Bank Slip.xls”. Aktivitas malware tersebut memiliki hubungan dengan kerentanan yang dikenal dengan id CVE-2017-11882 dan CVE-2018-0802.  (github_poc): https://github.com/Abdibimantara/Maldoc-Analysis
- https://github.com/roninAPT/CVE-2018-0802 (github_poc): https://github.com/roninAPT/CVE-2018-0802

## Other vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office

- [CVE-2018-0798](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-0798/): Microsoft Office Memory Corruption (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2015-1770](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-1770/): Microsoft Office Uninitialized Memory Use (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2006-2492](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2006-2492/): Microsoft Word Malformed Object Pointer (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2017-11882](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-11882/): Microsoft Office Memory Corruption (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2017-8570](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-8570/): Microsoft Office Remote Code Execution (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-0802 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-0802 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Microsoft Office, published on 10 Jan 2018. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2018-0802 in the wild since at least 3 Nov 2021, including in ransomware campaigns.

Affected product: Microsoft Office. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-0802/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-0802/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-0802
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-0802
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-0802

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-0802/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.