CVE-2023-36895: Microsoft Outlook Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Overview

Severity
High (CVSS 7.8)
CVSS Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C
Category
Remote Code Execution
Exploit Status
Not Exploited
Exploitation Likelihood
Less Likely
Patch Tuesday
2023-Aug
Released
2023-08-08
Last Updated
2023-09-04
EPSS Score
0.63% (percentile: 70.3%)

FAQ

According to the CVSS metric, the attack vector is local (AV:L). Why does the CVE title indicate that this is a remote code execution? The word Remote in the title refers to the location of the attacker. This type of exploit is sometimes referred to as Arbitrary Code Execution (ACE). The attack itself is carried out locally. For example, when the score indicates that the Attack Vector is Local and User Interaction is Required, this could describe an exploit in which an attacker, through social engineering, convinces a victim to download and open a specially crafted file from a website which leads to a local attack on their computer. Are the updates for the Microsoft Office for Mac currently available? The security update for Microsoft Office 2019 for Mac and Microsoft Office LTSC for Mac 2021 are not immediately available. The updates will be released as soon as possible, and when they are available, customers will be notified via a revision to this CVE information. Is the Preview Pane an attack vector for this vulnerability? Yes, the Preview Pane is an attack vector.

Affected Products (13)

Microsoft Office

  • Microsoft Office 2019 for 32-bit editions
  • Microsoft Office 2019 for 64-bit editions
  • Microsoft Office 2019 for Mac
  • Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise for 32-bit Systems
  • Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise for 64-bit Systems
  • Microsoft Office LTSC for Mac 2021
  • Microsoft Office LTSC 2021 for 64-bit editions
  • Microsoft Office LTSC 2021 for 32-bit editions
  • Microsoft Office 2016 (32-bit edition)
  • Microsoft Office 2016 (64-bit edition)
  • Microsoft Word 2013 RT Service Pack 1
  • Microsoft Word 2013 Service Pack 1 (32-bit editions)
  • Microsoft Word 2013 Service Pack 1 (64-bit editions)

Security Updates (5)

Acknowledgments

Dan Cabrera with <a href="https://www.ctd.tech/">Cross the Divide</a>

Revision History

  • 2023-08-08: Information published.
  • 2023-08-09: Added an FAQ. This is an information change only.
  • 2023-08-15: Updated the build numbers. This is an informational update only.
  • 2023-09-04: Updated product information in the Software Update table. This is an informational change only.