CVE-2018-25219
Published: 26 March 2026
Summary
CVE-2018-25219 is a high-severity Out-of-bounds Write (CWE-787) vulnerability in Passfab Excel Password Recovery. Its CVSS base score is 8.6 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068); ranked at the 15.7th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 SI-10 (Information Input Validation) and SI-16 (Memory Protection).
Deeper analysis
CVE-2018-25219 is a structured exception handling buffer overflow vulnerability in PassFab Excel Password Recovery version 8.3.1. The issue arises when a malicious payload is supplied in the registration code field, enabling local attackers to trigger the overflow and execute arbitrary code. It is classified under CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write) with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.4 (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).
Local attackers can exploit the vulnerability during the software's registration process by crafting a buffer overflow payload that includes a pop-pop-ret gadget and shellcode. This payload is pasted into the Licensed E-mail and Registration Code fields, leading to code execution upon processing. Exploitation requires local access to the system but no privileges or significant user interaction beyond the attacker's ability to input the payload.
Advisories and exploit details are available from VulnCheck at https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/passfab-excel-password-recovery-seh-buffer-overflow and Exploit-DB at https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/46301. Vendor resources include the product page at https://www.passfab.com/products/excel-password-recovery.html and download link at https://www.passfab.com/downloads/passfab-excel-password-recovery.exe; no specific patch or mitigation guidance is detailed in the provided references.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2018-21696
Vulnerability details
PassFab Excel Password Recovery 8.3.1 contains a structured exception handling buffer overflow vulnerability that allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code by supplying a malicious payload in the registration code field. Attackers can craft a buffer overflow payload with a…
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pop-pop-ret gadget and shellcode that triggers code execution when pasted into the Licensed E-mail and Registration Code field during the registration process.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
Local SEH buffer overflow enables arbitrary code execution via crafted registration input, directly mapping to exploitation for privilege escalation or code execution on the local system.
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Directly prevents the buffer overflow by requiring validation of malicious payloads supplied in the registration code field to ensure they do not exceed bounds or contain invalid data.
Mitigates exploitation of the SEH buffer overflow vulnerability through memory protection mechanisms such as DEP and ASLR that hinder arbitrary code execution via pop-pop-ret gadgets and shellcode.
Ensures timely remediation of the specific buffer overflow flaw in PassFab Excel Password Recovery 8.3.1 by applying patches or removing the vulnerable software.