Microsoft · Malware Protection Engine
CVE-2017-8540
Microsoft Malware Protection Engine Improper Restriction of Operations Vulnerability
What it is
The Microsoft Malware Protection Engine running on Microsoft Forefront and Microsoft Defender on Microsoft Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, Windows RT 8.1, Windows 10 Gold, 1511, 1607, and 1703, and Windows Server 2016, Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 and 2016, does not properly scan a specially crafted file leading to memory corruption. aka "Microsoft Malware Protection Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability", a different vulnerability than CVE-2017-8538 and CVE-2017-8541.
CISA: The Microsoft Malware Protection Engine running on Microsoft Forefront and Microsoft Defender on Microsoft Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, Windows RT 8.1, Windows 10 Gold, 1511, 1607, and 1703, and Windows Server 2016, Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 and 2016, does not properly scan a specially crafted file leading to memory corruption. aka "Microsoft Malware Protection Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability".
What to do
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Deadline for US federal agencies: March 24, 2022
More exploited flaws from Microsoft
| Added | Vulnerability | Product | Severity | Attack chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 13, 2026 | Command Injection | Windows | High 8.8 | 9.8% |
| Sep 25, 2026 | Code Injection | SharePoint | High 8.8 | 8.2% |
| Sep 8, 2026 | Link Following | Windows | High 7.8 | 0.4% |
| Sep 8, 2026 | Heap-Based Buffer Overflow | Windows | High 7.8 | 0.4% |
| Aug 26, 2026 | Remote Code Execution | SQL Server | High 8.8 | 57% |
| Aug 18, 2026 | Double Free | Internet Key Exchange (IKE) Service Extensions | Critical 9.8 | 77% |
| Aug 18, 2026 | Weak Authentication | SharePoint | Critical 9.1 | 70% |
| Aug 11, 2026 | Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock Use-After-Free | Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock | High 7.0 | 0.3% |
Sources: Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (CISA, public domain), CVE records (cve.org) and EPSS (FIRST). The chance of attacks is the EPSS estimate that someone will try to exploit the flaw in the next 30 days.