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Microsoft Office EUVDEUVD-2026-100173

| CVE-2026-85340 HIGH
Use After Free (CWE-416)
2026-10-13 secure@microsoft.com GHSA-3qcw-3rjg-5q93
7.8
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: microsoft
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Gain authenticated low-privilege local access
  2. Exploit
    Trigger use-after-free in Office Click-To-Run
  3. Execution
    Execute attacker code in privileged context
  4. Impact
    Elevate to SYSTEM/administrative control

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Memory lifecycle management
MITRE ATT&CK

2 techniques across 2 tactics: Execution, Privilege Escalation

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

Requires the attacker to already have authenticated, low-privileged local code execution on a host where Microsoft Office Click-To-Run (Microsoft 365 Apps / Office LTSC 2021/2024) is installed - the SSVC 'authorized attacker' designation and CVSS PR:L/AV:L confirm a local foothold is a hard prerequisite. No user interaction is needed (UI:N) and it works against default Office installations, but there is NO remote attack surface: exploitation is impossible without prior access to the machine. Patched builds (Office LTSC 2021 >=16.0.14334.20974, Office LTSC 2024 >=16.0.17932.21056, and updated Microsoft 365 Apps channels) close the window, so the primary limiting factors are the local-access requirement and patch status.

Impact

This is a locally-exploitable elevation-of-privilege flaw (CVSS 3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N, base 7.8 HIGH) in Microsoft Office Click-To-Run, driven by a CWE-416 use-after-free. The CVSS vector consistently indicates a logged-in, low-privileged local attacker (AV:L, PR:L) with no user interaction and low attack complexity, yielding total compromise (C:H/I:H/A:H). All exploitation-pressure signals point to LOW urgency relative to the high severity score: no CISA KEV listing, no public POC identified, and CISA SSVC explicitly rates Exploitation as 'none' and Automatable as 'no', consistent with a local-only EoP that cannot be sprayed remotely. SSVC Technical Impact is 'total', which aligns with the C/I/A:H impact metrics. EPSS is not provided in the input, so exploitation probability cannot be independently quantified. Net: this is a real, patch-worthy local privilege-escalation bug most valuable as a post-compromise step, not an internet-facing emergency. It is not a high-CVSS-but-no-real-risk phantom, since the impact is genuine, but neither is it a drop-everything item absent any evidence of active exploitation. Note a minor signal conflict: the input Tags include 'Denial Of Service', whereas the description and CVSS (C:H/I:H) describe privilege escalation/code execution, not a DoS - treat the DoS label with caution.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

A low-privileged user, or malware already running under a standard user account, on a workstation with Microsoft 365 Apps / Office Click-To-Run installed triggers the use-after-free in the Click-To-Run service to corrupt memory and run attacker-controlled code at a higher privilege level. No public exploit code has been identified at the time of analysis, and because the vector is local (AV:L), the attacker must already have code execution on the host, making this a privilege-escalation link in a larger intrusion rather than an initial-access vector.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.3% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Oct 14, 2026

Local privilege escalation in Microsoft Office Click-To-Run allows an authenticated low-privileged attacker who already has code execution on a target host to trigger a use-after-free (CWE-416) and gain elevated privileges. The flaw affects Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise and Office LTSC 2021/2024 installations, requires no user interaction, and has no remote attack surface; no public exploit has been identified at time of analysis. CISA SSVC rates exploitation as none and automatable as no, and vendor patches are available.

RemediationAI

Apply the vendor-released patch: update Microsoft Office LTSC 2021 to 16.0.14334.20974 or later and Microsoft Office LTSC 2024 to 16.0.17932.21056 or later, and update Microsoft 365 Apps through the standard channels at https://aka.ms/OfficeSecurityReleases. The MSRC advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-85340 provides deployment details. Because exploitation requires an authenticated local foothold, prioritize patching on multi-user systems and enforce least privilege or application control (WDAC/AppLocker) to limit unauthorized local code execution; these controls can disrupt legitimate Office add-ins or line-of-business binaries if not scoped carefully. No complete workaround replaces patching the Click-To-Run component.

Affected VersionsENISA

Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise 16.0.1 <https://aka.ms/OfficeSecurityReleases
Microsoft Office LTSC 2021 16.0.1 <16.0.14334.20974
Microsoft Office LTSC 2024 16.0.0 <16.0.17932.21056

Affected Packages

euvd microsoft_office_ltsc_2021 fix: 16.0.14334.20974
euvd microsoft_office_ltsc_2024 fix: 16.0.17932.21056

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 2 packages in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

The affected component is Microsoft Office Click-To-Run (C2R), the streaming and update technology used by Microsoft 365 Apps and Office LTSC installations. The root cause is a CWE-416 use-after-free: a memory object is referenced after being freed, leading to memory corruption that can be shaped by a local attacker for privilege elevation. The assessed CVSS 3.1 vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H confirms a local, low-privileged prerequisite with no user interaction, and the SSVC 'authorized attacker' designation aligns with that local foothold requirement; there is no remote attack surface. Affected C2R-based products listed by ENISA EUVD include Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise, Office LTSC 2021 before 16.0.14334.20974, and Office LTSC 2024 before 16.0.17932.21056.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (microsoft) PRIMARY 7.8 HIGH
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
ENISA EUVD HIGH
vuln.today AI 7.8 HIGH

Local EoP requiring an existing low-privileged account (AV:L, PR:L) with no interaction (UI:N); use-after-free yields full code execution, so C/I/A:H with unchanged scope.

3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).

CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

2
Patch available
Oct 13, 2026 - 20:20 EUVD
CVE Published
Oct 13, 2026 - 19:20 cve.org
HIGH 7.8

DescriptionCVE.org

Use after free in Microsoft Office Click-To-Run allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

Microsoft Office Click-to-Run - the servicing component behind Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise and Office LTSC 2021/2024 - carries a high-severity local privilege escalation flaw that allows an attacker who has already gained a foothold on a workstation to elevate to higher system privileges. The exposure is not remote: it requires pre-existing code execution on the host, and no public exploit has been identified at time of analysis, so the practical risk is concentrated on already-compromised, shared, or multi-user endpoints rather than the broader internet-facing estate. Leadership should care because a successful escalation converts a contained workstation compromise into an administrative takeover, opening the door to credential theft, lateral movement, and durable persistence across the productivity environment.

Business Impact: Medium
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.3%
Top 76% exploitable
Prevalence
Ubiquitous
Microsoft 365 Apps / Office Click-To-Run installed across most enterprise endpoints
Threat Intel
1
1 sources
Vendor Status
Publicly Disclosed:No
Exploited:No
Latest Software Release:Exploitation Less Likely
Data Quality
6 sources
Confidence: High

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.3%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision
Defer
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable
No
Human Impact
Medium
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

44
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +39
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: +5

Attack Technique

Use-after-free vulnerabilities occur when a program continues to access memory through a pointer after that memory has been deallocated.

Memory corruption occurs when a program writes data beyond the boundaries of allocated memory regions or accesses memory in unintended ways, violating the integrity of the process's address space.

Denial of Service attacks render applications or systems unavailable by overwhelming resources or triggering failure conditions.

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