Microsoft warns of RCE vulnerabilities

Microsoft has discovered two remote code execution vulnerabilities in unpatched versions of the Adobe Type Manager Library that are being actively exploited.

The company said it has become aware of targeted Windows 7-based attacks seeking to leverage the vulnerability to compromise target systems.

The two vulnerabilities involve the use of a specially crafted multimaster font that is improperly managed by unpatched versions of the library. The exploit can be triggered in multiple ways, including through the development of a malicious document to be opened or viewed in preview mode.

But possibility of remote code execution is negligible and elevation of privilege is not possible, Microsoft’s advisory states.

Microsoft said it is working on a fix that is likely to be released during the next Patch Tuesday. Due to Windows 7 being past its end-of-life date, the update will only be made available for businesses with Extended Support licences.

The threat is low for Windows 10 systems due to mitigations first put in place with the first version of the OS released in 2015, and the company is not aware of any attacks targeting Windows 10 systems using the vulnerability.

But the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) has urged businesses still running Windows 7 to implement Microsoft’s workarounds for the vulnerability.

These include disabling the preview and details panes of Windows Explorer, disabling the WebClient service and manually disabling the Adobe Type Manager Library registry key.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/James Thew