Remote code execution via double-free RTF parsing
Published Jan 14, 2025 · Updated Jun 9, 2026
Use-after-free in Microsoft Windows OLE allows remote attackers to execute code through a crafted RTF file or email preview. UtOlePresStmToContentsStm releases a CONTENTS-stream pointer but leaves it nonnull, then releases it again when OlePres header parsing fails. Opening a malicious file triggers the flaw in Word; Outlook preview can expose it without a click, and code runs in the current process.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in Microsoft Windows OLE allows remote attackers to execute code through a crafted RTF file or email preview. UtOlePresStmToContentsStm releases a CONTENTS-stream pointer but leaves it nonnull, then releases it again when OlePres header parsing fails. Opening a malicious file triggers the flaw in Word; Outlook preview can expose it without a click, and code runs in the current process.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-21298
- Published
- Jan 14, 2025
- Updated
- Jun 9, 2026
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Windows 10 Version 1507
- Classifications
- CWE-416, T1203
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 14, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jun 9, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=10.0.10240.0 <10.0.10240.20890
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Public exploit references
- RTF memory-corruption proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo