# CVE-2019-1200: Microsoft Outlook Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

> An attacker can execute arbitrary code by tricking a user into opening a specially crafted file in Microsoft Outlook.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **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:** 14 Aug 2019
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-89v5-wvp7-3m8g

## What is CVE-2019-1200?

CVE-2019-1200 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Microsoft Office, published on 14 Aug 2019. 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

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Outlook software when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could use a specially crafted file to perform actions in the security context of the current user. For example, the file could then take actions on behalf of the logged-on user with the same permissions as the current user.
To exploit the vulnerability, a user must open a specially crafted file with an affected version of Microsoft Outlook software. In an email attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending the specially crafted file to the user and convincing the user to open the file. In a web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a website (or leverage a compromised website that accepts or hosts user-provided content) that contains a specially crafted file that is designed to exploit the vulnerability. However, an attacker would have no way to force the user to visit the website. Instead, an attacker would have to convince the user to click a link, typically by way of an enticement in an email or Instant Messenger message, and then convince the user to open the specially crafted file.
Note that the Preview Pane is not an attack vector for this vulnerability.
The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how Microsoft Outlook handles files in memory.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-1200?

It affects 3 products.


Products: Microsoft Office, Microsoft Office 365 Proplus, Microsoft Outlook.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-1200?

No fix has been published for CVE-2019-1200 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2019-1200 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-1200 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## 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-2018-0802](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-0802/): Microsoft Office Memory Corruption (high 7.8, 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)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2019-1200 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-1200 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Microsoft Office, published on 14 Aug 2019. 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: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-1200 in the wild and no public exploit code.

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-2019-1200/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-1200/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-1200
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-1200
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-1200

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-1200/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.
