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Attack ChainAIDerived

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

  1. Access
    Craft malicious Office document
  2. Delivery
    Deliver via phishing or file share
  3. Exploit
    Victim opens file in vulnerable Office
  4. Execution
    Trigger heap buffer overflow in parser
  5. Persist
    Execute arbitrary code as user
  6. Impact
    Compromise local data and session

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Heap buffer bounds checking
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Execution

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

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires the victim to process an attacker-crafted Office file on a vulnerable build (e.g., Office 2016 below 16.0.5552.1000, Office for Android below 16.0.19822.20190, or Office LTSC for Mac 2021/2024 below 16.109.26051019); the malformed document must reach and be opened/previewed in the affected application. The supplied CVSS vector states UI:N and PR:N (no interaction, unauthenticated), but for an Office document-parsing heap overflow this conflicts with the AV:L 'execute code locally' description, which implies the victim must open the file - treat user interaction as a likely limiting factor pending MSRC confirmation. Limiting factors: local attack vector (AV:L) means no remote/network-only trigger, exploitation is not automatable (SSVC Automatable: no), code runs only with the invoking user's privileges (S:U), and Protected View or ASR rules further constrain execution.

Impact

Signals point to a serious-severity but low-urgency issue. The provided CVSS 3.1 base score is 8.4 with total technical impact (C:H/I:H/A:H), yet the exploitation signals are weak: EPSS is 0.04% (14th percentile), CISA SSVC rates Exploitation as none and Automatable as no, and no POC or KEV listing exists, so this is not currently a widely exploited threat. There is a notable inconsistency in the supplied CVSS vector: it lists AV:L with UI:N and PR:N, but a heap overflow in Office that 'allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code locally' almost always requires the victim to open or preview a crafted document - i.e., user interaction (UI:R). Verify the user-interaction requirement with Microsoft's MSRC advisory, because if UI:R applies the realistic risk is lower than the raw score implies. Overall this is a patch-on-normal-cadence item for most environments, though Office's enormous install base means it warrants timely rollout.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker emails or hosts a specially crafted Office document containing a malformed record that triggers the heap overflow when the file is opened or previewed on a vulnerable Office build, executing code with the victim user's privileges. No public exploit code has been identified, and successful exploitation typically requires the target to open the malicious file, so social engineering (phishing) is the likely delivery method. With total technical impact, a single opened document can hand the attacker full control of the user's Office session and local data.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.0% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Jul 23, 2026

Local code execution in Microsoft Office (2016, 2019, LTSC 2021/2024, 365 Apps for Enterprise, Office for Android, and Office LTSC for Mac 2021/2024) stems from a heap-based buffer overflow that lets an attacker run arbitrary code with the victim's privileges. The flaw was reported by Microsoft, a vendor patch is available, and there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis; EPSS is very low at 0.04% and CISA SSVC records exploitation as none. Impact is total (full confidentiality, integrity, and availability loss) but exploitation is not automatable and, per typical Office file-parsing bugs, hinges on processing attacker-supplied content.

RemediationAI

Apply the vendor-released patches, which are available per Microsoft's advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-40363. Specific fixed builds include Microsoft Office 2016 16.0.5552.1000, Microsoft Office for Android 16.0.19822.20190, and Microsoft Office LTSC for Mac 2021/2024 16.109.26051019; for Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise, Office 2019, and Office LTSC 2021/2024, install the current Office security update tracked at https://aka.ms/OfficeSecurityReleases (exact build follows your update channel). For 365 Apps, ensure automatic updates are enabled so the patched build deploys via your Click-to-Run channel. Until patching completes, reduce exposure by opening untrusted documents in Protected View and keeping it enabled (side effect: users must explicitly enable editing), blocking or quarantining Office file types at the mail gateway, and enabling Attack Surface Reduction rules that constrain Office child-process creation (side effect: may break legitimate macros or automation). See VulDB at https://vuldb.com/vuln/363177 and the NVD entry at https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-40363 for cross-reference.

Affected VersionsENISA

Microsoft Office 2016 16.0.0 <16.0.5552.1000
Microsoft Office for Android 16.0.1 <16.0.19822.20190
Microsoft Office LTSC for Mac 2021 16.0.1 <16.109.26051019
Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise 16.0.1 <https://aka.ms/OfficeSecurityReleases
Microsoft Office 2019 19.0.0 <https://aka.ms/OfficeSecurityReleases
Microsoft Office LTSC for Mac 2024 16.0.0 <16.109.26051019
Microsoft Office LTSC 2021 16.0.1 <https://aka.ms/OfficeSecurityReleases
Microsoft Office LTSC 2024 16.0.0 <https://aka.ms/OfficeSecurityReleases

Affected Packages

euvd microsoft_office_2016 fix: 16.0.5552.1000
euvd microsoft_office_for_android fix: 16.0.19822.20190
euvd microsoft_office_ltsc_for_mac_2021 fix: 16.109.26051019
euvd microsoft_office_ltsc_for_mac_2024 fix: 16.109.26051019

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 4 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 root cause is CWE-122, a heap-based buffer overflow: Office's document-parsing code writes past the bounds of a heap-allocated buffer, corrupting adjacent heap metadata or objects and enabling control-flow hijack that leads to arbitrary code execution. The CPE set confirms the affected components are the Office application suite across Windows (Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise, Office 2016, Office 2019, Office LTSC 2021, Office LTSC 2024), Android (Office for Android), and macOS (Office LTSC for Mac 2021 and 2024), indicating the vulnerable parsing logic is in shared cross-platform code rather than a single OS-specific module. Such overflows typically occur while deserializing a malformed file format element, where a length field or record size is trusted without adequate bounds validation before a copy into a fixed heap buffer.

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Severity by source

Vendor (microsoft) PRIMARY 8.4 HIGH
AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
ENISA EUVD HIGH
CIRCL (temporal) 7.3 HIGH
vuln.today AI 7.8 HIGH

Local file-parsing overflow needs the victim to open a crafted document, so AV:L and UI:R; no prior privileges (PR:N) and full user-context compromise gives C/I/A:H.

3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/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
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

DescriptionCVE.org

Heap-based buffer overflow in Microsoft Office allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code locally.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

Microsoft Office versions 2016 through LTSC 2024-including 365 Apps for Enterprise and mobile/Mac variants-contain a code execution vulnerability (CVSS 8.4) triggered by processing malicious files, exposing users to potential data theft and system compromise. Exploitation requires user interaction with attacker-supplied content but poses high risk across widely deployed install bases. A vendor patch is available and immediate deployment is recommended.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.0%
Top 86% exploitable
Prevalence
Ubiquitous
Microsoft Office is deployed across a vast majority of enterprise and consumer environments
Threat Intel
2
1 sources
Vendor Action
See Below
Required. The vulnerability documented by this CVE requires customer action to resolve.
Vendor Status
Publicly Disclosed:No
Exploited:No
Latest Software Release:Exploitation Less Likely
Data Quality
7 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 0.0%
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
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable
No
Human Impact
High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

47
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +42
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: +5

Attack Technique

A buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a memory buffer than it was allocated to hold, causing the excess data to spill into adjacent memory regions.

A heap overflow occurs when a program writes data beyond the bounds of a buffer allocated in the heap memory region.

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