Saturday, April 12, 2025
HomeCVE/vulnerabilityPowerPoint file Equipped with CVE-2017-0199 could Compromise Your System

PowerPoint file Equipped with CVE-2017-0199 could Compromise Your System

Published on

SIEM as a Service

Follow Us on Google News

Security experts from FortiGuard Labs discovered a malicious Powerpoint file in name ADVANCED DIPLOMATIC PROTOCOL AND ETIQUETTE SUMMIT.ppsx using the CVE-2017-0199 Vulnerability.By opening, this malicious PDF file may compromise your system.

CVE-2017-0199 was originally a zero-day remote code execution vulnerability that allowed attackers to use a flaw that exists within the Windows Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) interface of Microsoft workplace to deliver malware.

This vulnerability has been disclosed and patched in last April 2017. This vulnerability triggers an RCE with Microsoft Office or Word with specially crafted files.

- Advertisement - Google News

Fortigate identified that the flaw is used by attackers in Windows Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) interface of Microsoft Office and gain control over the system.

Powerpoint Malware
Source : Fortinet

When the malicious file opened by the user it triggers ppt/slides/_rels/slide1.xml.rels and then it use to download remote code from hxxp://www[.]narrowbabwe[.]net:3345/exp[.]doc.The remote code developers include blank spaces to evade malware detection.

Also Read Exploit Windows Remote PC with EternalBlue & DoublePulsar Exploit through Metasploit

They observed that exploit to use to download the doc file and it consist of XMLand JavaScripts.The Java Script used to escalate Privilege and bypass UAC.The UAC bypass method involves hijacking the registry in HKCU\software\classes\mscfile\shell\open\command and then executing eventvwr.exe.

After decoding all the scripts it will read the following registry if it dosesn’t exists it will create them.

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\User Agent\Seed0
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\User Agent\Feed0

Then it looks for the network adapter configured to connect with C&C server HTTP POST to hxxp://www[.]narrowbabwe[.]net/comsary/index[.]php to connect and download the malicious payload to establish control over the machine.

Also Read Exploitation Framework for Embedded devices – RouterSploit

Solution From Fortinet

  • Apply the patches released by Microsoft in April that covers the CVE-2017-0199 vulnerability.
  • FortiGuard Antivirus service detects this threat as
  • MSOffice/Downloader!exploit.CVE20170199
  • FortiGuard Web Filtering service blocks all C&C and related URLs.
  • FortiSandbox rates the PPSX file as High Risk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpfNf8JTSQM

Gurubaran
Gurubaran
Gurubaran is a co-founder of Cyber Security News and GBHackers On Security. He has 10+ years of experience as a Security Consultant, Editor, and Analyst in cybersecurity, technology, and communications.

Latest articles

Threat Actors Leverage Email Bombing to Evade Security Tools and Conceal Malicious Activity

Threat actors are increasingly using email bombing to bypass security protocols and facilitate further...

Threat Actors Launch Active Attacks on Semiconductor Firms Using Zero-Day Exploits

Semiconductor companies, pivotal in the tech industry for their role in producing components integral...

Hackers Exploit Router Flaws in Ongoing Attacks on Enterprise Networks

Enterprises are facing heightened cyber threats as attackers increasingly target network infrastructure, particularly routers,...

Threat Actors Exploit Legitimate Crypto Packages to Deliver Malicious Code

Threat actors are using open-source software (OSS) repositories to install malicious code into trusted...

Resilience at Scale

Why Application Security is Non-Negotiable

The resilience of your digital infrastructure directly impacts your ability to scale. And yet, application security remains a critical weak link for most organizations.

Application Security is no longer just a defensive play—it’s the cornerstone of cyber resilience and sustainable growth. In this webinar, Karthik Krishnamoorthy (CTO of Indusface) and Phani Deepak Akella (VP of Marketing – Indusface), will share how AI-powered application security can help organizations build resilience by

Discussion points


Protecting at internet scale using AI and behavioral-based DDoS & bot mitigation.
Autonomously discovering external assets and remediating vulnerabilities within 72 hours, enabling secure, confident scaling.
Ensuring 100% application availability through platforms architected for failure resilience.
Eliminating silos with real-time correlation between attack surface and active threats for rapid, accurate mitigation

More like this

CISA Issues 10 ICS Advisories Addressing Critical Vulnerabilities and Exploits

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued ten new Industrial Control Systems...

AMD CPU Signature Verification Vulnerability Enables Unauthorized Microcode Execution

A vulnerability in AMD CPUs has been uncovered, enabling attackers with administrative privileges to...

Ivanti 0-Day RCE Flaw Exploitation Details Revealed

A critical unauthenticated Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability, CVE-2025-22457, has been disclosed by Ivanti, sparking concerns across...