CVE-2009-0556

KEVMicrosoft Office PowerPoint Code Injection Vulnerability

Description

Microsoft Office PowerPoint contains a code injection vulnerability that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a PowerPoint file with an OutlineTextRefAtom containing an invalid index value that triggers memory corruption.

Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2000 SP3, 2002 SP3, and 2003 SP3, and PowerPoint in Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a PowerPoint file with an OutlineTextRefAtom containing an an invalid index value that triggers memory corruption, as exploited in the wild in April 2009 by Exploit:Win32/Apptom.gen, aka "Memory Corruption Vulnerability."

CVSS 3.1 vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

PublishedApr 3, 2009

Last modifiedJun 16, 2026

Added to KEVJan 7, 2026

Remediation dueJan 28, 2026

References

blogs.technet.com/mmpc/archive/2009/04/02/new-0-day-exploits-using-powerpoint-files.aspxVendor Advisory
blogs.technet.com/msrc/archive/2009/04/02/microsoft-security-advisory-969136.aspxVendor Advisory
blogs.technet.com/srd/archive/2009/04/02/investigating-the-new-powerpoint-issue.aspxVendor Advisory
osvdb.org/53182Broken Link
secunia.com/advisories/34572Vendor Advisory
kb.cert.org/vuls/id/627331US Government Resource
microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/969136.mspxPatchVendor Advisory
securityfocus.com/archive/1/503453/100/0/threadedBroken Link
securityfocus.com/bid/34351Broken Link
securitytracker.com/id?1021967Broken Link
us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA09-132A.htmlUS Government Resource
vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/0915Vendor Advisory

0 recent articles mention this CVE

Risk assessment · Critical

Actively exploited. Patch immediately.

Exploitation: Confirmed in the wild (CISA KEV)
Federal remediation deadline: Overdue by 272 days
CVSS: 8.8 HIGH
EPSS (30-day exploit probability): 67.3% · top 1% of all CVEs
Weakness: CWE-94
Attack vector: Network, remotely reachable

Recommended actions

1.Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
2.Treat as emergency change: patch or isolate internet-facing instances first.
3.Review exposure: confirm which instances are reachable from the internet and restrict access until patched.
4.Hunt for compromise: review logs for the disclosure window, not just from the patch date.

Assessment is derived automatically from the live signals above; verify against your own asset inventory.