Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
File-borne attack requires no system privileges (PR:N) but mandates user opens the file (UI:R, AV:L); successful heap overflow yields full code execution impact.
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
3DescriptionCVE.org
Heap-based buffer overflow in Microsoft Office Excel allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code locally.
AnalysisAI
Heap-based buffer overflow in Microsoft Office Excel enables local code execution when a user opens a specially crafted Excel file. The CVSS vector (AV:L/PR:N/UI:R) confirms the attack requires no system privileges but does require user interaction - the classic malicious-document delivery pattern. Full confidentiality, integrity, and availability compromise results, making this a high-severity threat against any organization reliant on Excel for document workflows. No public exploit or CISA KEV listing has been identified at time of analysis.
Technical ContextAI
CWE-122 (Heap-based Buffer Overflow) indicates the root cause is improper bounds checking during memory allocation or copy operations on the heap, likely within Excel's file parsing engine (e.g., XLS/XLSX format handlers). When Excel processes a maliciously structured workbook, attacker-controlled data overflows a heap buffer, corrupting adjacent heap metadata or function pointers. This class of vulnerability in Office document parsers is well-understood: heap grooming or use of modern heap exploitation techniques (e.g., LFH manipulation on Windows) can turn the overflow into reliable control-flow hijack. The local attack vector (AV:L) paired with user interaction (UI:R) places this squarely in the file-borne malware delivery model. No CPE strings were provided in the input; exact affected Excel versions must be confirmed via the MSRC advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-68805.
RemediationAI
The primary remediation is to apply the vendor-supplied patch via Microsoft's standard update channels (Windows Update, Microsoft Update Catalog, or Microsoft 365 update mechanism). The exact patched version is not confirmed in the available data - consult the MSRC advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-68805 for the specific KB article and patched build numbers. Until patching is complete, apply Microsoft's Protected View feature in Office to open untrusted documents in a sandboxed read-only mode, which prevents code execution from maliciously crafted files in most scenarios (note: users may still click to enable editing, bypassing this control). Additionally, enforcing Attack Surface Reduction (ASR) rule 'Block Office applications from creating executable content' via Microsoft Defender for Endpoint adds a compensating layer. Email gateway filtering of Office attachments from untrusted senders reduces delivery surface, though it does not eliminate web-download or USB-based delivery paths.
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Same weakness CWE-122 – Heap-based Buffer Overflow
View allSame technique Buffer Overflow
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External POC / Exploit Code
Leaving vuln.today
EUVD-2026-56759
GHSA-hv7j-5cx9-87r4