CVE-2021-42295 : What You Need to Know

CVE-2021-42295, published on 2021-12-15, affects various Microsoft Office versions. The vulnerability has a CVSS base score of 5.5 (Medium) and allows information disclosure in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). Here's what you need to know.

Understanding CVE-2021-42295

This CVE pertains to an information disclosure vulnerability in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) in Microsoft Office products.

What is CVE-2021-42295?

The CVE-2021-42295 vulnerability allows an attacker to access potentially sensitive information through Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) in Microsoft Office products.

The Impact of CVE-2021-42295

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized disclosure of information, posing a risk to user data confidentiality within affected systems.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-42295

CVE-2021-42295 exposes the following technical details:

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability lies in the Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) component of Microsoft Office, allowing unauthorized access to information.

Affected Systems and Versions

Microsoft Office 2019 (version 19.0.0)
Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise (version 16.0.1)
Microsoft Office LTSC 2021 (version 16.0.1)
Microsoft Office 2016 (version 16.0.0)
Microsoft Office 2013 Service Pack 1 (version 15.0.0)

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by an attacker to access sensitive data via VBA in the affected Microsoft Office versions.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2021-42295, consider the following measures:

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply security updates provided by Microsoft promptly.
Monitor for any suspicious activities on Microsoft Office applications.
Educate users on recognizing and avoiding potential phishing attempts.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and maintain security protocols on Microsoft Office applications.
Implement access controls to restrict VBA usage to authorized personnel only.

Patching and Updates

Ensure you have the latest security patches installed for Microsoft Office to mitigate the risk of exploitation.