Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Heap-based buffer overflow in Microsoft Office allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code locally.
AnalysisAI
Local code execution in Microsoft Office via a heap-based buffer overflow allows an unauthorized attacker to run arbitrary code with the privileges of the user opening a malicious document. The CVSS vector (AV:L/PR:N/UI:N) indicates local attack vector without required authentication or user interaction, an unusual combination that warrants verification against the vendor advisory. No public exploit identified at time of analysis and the issue is not currently listed in CISA KEV.
Technical ContextAI
Microsoft Office is a productivity suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) that parses complex binary and OOXML document formats through native C/C++ parsing components. The root cause is classified as CWE-416 (Use After Free), though the description characterizes the issue as a heap-based buffer overflow - both are memory-corruption classes where freed or out-of-bounds heap memory is referenced, allowing an attacker to overwrite adjacent heap structures (vtables, function pointers) and pivot control flow. The associated tags (Buffer Overflow, Use After Free, Memory Corruption) suggest the bug is a parsing flaw in an Office file-format handler, which historically has been a productive surface for both crash-to-RCE exploits and Office-document-borne malware.
RemediationAI
Patch available per vendor advisory - apply the Microsoft security update referenced at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-45472 via Microsoft Update, WSUS, Intune, or your standard Office update channel (Click-to-Run for Microsoft 365 Apps, MSI for volume-licensed editions). Until patches are deployed, compensating controls include enabling Protected View for documents originating from the internet and email attachments (which sandboxes the parser and blocks active content but degrades usability for users who routinely edit untrusted files), blocking high-risk legacy file formats at the email gateway, and enabling Attack Surface Reduction rules such as 'Block Office applications from creating child processes' and 'Block executable content from email client and webmail' (which can break legitimate macro-driven workflows). Application Guard for Office, where licensed, provides hardware-isolated containment of untrusted documents.
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Same weakness CWE-416 – Use After Free
View allSame technique Use After Free
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External POC / Exploit Code
Leaving vuln.today
EUVD-2026-35648
GHSA-7rc8-chgg-9grf