Overview
Cybersecurity vulnerabilities come in various forms, and one of the most significant is deserialization of untrusted data. Microsoft Office SharePoint CVE-2025-47163 is a high-risk vulnerability that allows an authorized attacker to execute code over a network. This vulnerability primarily affects users of Microsoft SharePoint, a web-based collaborative platform that integrates with Microsoft Office.
The severity of this vulnerability is underscored by the potential for system compromise or data leakage. In a world increasingly reliant on digital communication and data storage, such a vulnerability could have catastrophic impacts on businesses and individuals alike. It is therefore crucial to understand and mitigate this vulnerability.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-47163
Severity: High (8.8 CVSS Severity Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low (Authorized Access)
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
Product | Affected Versions
Microsoft SharePoint | All unpatched versions
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability exists due to improper deserialization of untrusted data in Microsoft SharePoint. Deserialization is the process of converting data from a format suitable for storage or transmission back into an object. However, if an attacker can control the serialized data, they can manipulate it to execute arbitrary code when the data is deserialized.
In the case of CVE-2025-47163, an attacker with authorized access to the network could exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted serialized object to Microsoft SharePoint. When SharePoint deserializes the object, the attacker’s code would be executed, potentially leading to system compromise or data leakage.
Conceptual Example Code
Here is a highly simplified example of how an attacker might exploit this vulnerability:
POST /_vti_bin/client.svc HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer malicious_serialized_object
{ "malicious_serialized_object": "..." }In this example, the attacker sends a POST request to a vulnerable endpoint on the target SharePoint server. The malicious serialized object is included in the Authorization header and body. When the SharePoint server deserializes the object, it inadvertently executes the attacker’s code. It’s important to note that this is a conceptual example, and actual exploitation would likely be more complex and require a deep understanding of Microsoft SharePoint’s internals.
As a cybersecurity expert, I strongly recommend applying the vendor’s patch as soon as possible to prevent potential exploits. If the patch cannot be applied immediately, consider using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) as a temporary mitigation measure.
