
CVE-2021-40444 was a reminder that attackers don't always need macros. A malicious Word document could leverage the legacy MSHTML (Internet Explorer) engine to load attacker-controlled content and trigger code execution through ActiveX. It's a fascinating case study in how decades of Windows compatibility layers, Office, OLE, COM, ActiveX, and MSHTML, can combine into a powerful attack chain.
Post summary
The passage highlights how legacy Windows components can be abused in CVE-2021-40444, but provides no evidence of active exploits, patches, or PoC code.



