# CVE-2015-1641: Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerability

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2015-1641-microsoft-office-memory-corruption-vulnerability  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2021-11-03. Updated: 2026-05-10  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2015-1641 · Severity: critical · CVSS 9.3 · Exploited in the wild · Published 2021-11-03

Microsoft Office contains a memory corruption vulnerability due to a failure to properly handle Rich Text Format (RTF) files in memory. Remote attackers can exploit this by tricking a user into opening a specially crafted RTF document, leading to arbitrary code execution.

Technologies: [Microsoft Office](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/office). Vendors: [Microsoft](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/microsoft).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2015-1641 exploited in the wild?** Yes. CVE-2015-1641 is known to be exploited in the wild, first recorded on 3 November 2021. Treat it as urgent.

**How severe is CVE-2015-1641?** Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 9.3, published 3 November 2021.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Microsoft Word 2007 SP3; Microsoft Office 2010 SP2; Microsoft Word 2010 SP2; Microsoft Word 2013 SP1; and 7 more.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2015-1641?** A patch was published on 2015-04-14: Microsoft released security bulletin MS15-033. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2015-1641 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a network appliance.

**Am I affected by CVE-2015-1641?** Check whether you run Microsoft Office. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Affected products

- Microsoft Word 2007 SP3
- Microsoft Office 2010 SP2
- Microsoft Word 2010 SP2
- Microsoft Word 2013 SP1
- Microsoft Word 2013 RT SP1
- Microsoft Word for Mac 2011
- Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack SP3
- Microsoft Word Automation Services on SharePoint Server 2010 SP2
- Microsoft Word Automation Services on SharePoint Server 2013 SP1
- Microsoft Office Web Apps Server 2010 SP2
- Microsoft Office Web Apps Server 2013 SP1

## Timeline

- 2015-04-14: disclosed: Initial NIST analysis and CVSS V2 assignment.
- 2015-04-14: patched: Microsoft released security bulletin MS15-033.
- 2021-11-03: kev added: Added to CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog.

## Related threats

- [Microsoft Office Outlook user warning spoofing vulnerability](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-124194-microsoft-office-outlook-missing-user-interaction-for)
- [Microsoft Office heap-based buffer overflow](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-122198-heap-based-buffer-overflow-in-microsoft-office-allows-an)
- [Microsoft Office heap-based buffer overflow](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-120003-heap-based-buffer-overflow-in-microsoft-office-allows-an)
- [Microsoft Office UI security feature bypass](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-119998-product-ui-does-not-warn-user-of-unsafe-actions-in-microsoft)
- [Microsoft Office heap-based buffer overflow](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-116717-heap-based-buffer-overflow-in-microsoft-office-allows-an)
