CVE-2025-59221: Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Overview

Severity
High (CVSS 7)
CVSS Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/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
Unlikely
Patch Tuesday
2025-Oct
Released
2025-10-14
EPSS Score
0.08% (percentile: 24.7%)

Description

Use after free in Microsoft Office Word allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code locally.

FAQ

There are multiple update packages available for some of the affected software. Do I need to install all the updates listed in the Security Updates table for the software? Yes. Customers should apply all updates offered for the software installed on their systems. If multiple updates apply, they can be installed in any order. Is the Preview Pane an attack vector for this vulnerability? No, the Preview Pane is not an attack vector. According to the CVSS metric, the attack complexity is high (AC:H). What does that mean for this vulnerability? Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to win a race condition. 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.

Affected Products (14)

Microsoft Office

  • Microsoft SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016
  • Microsoft SharePoint Server 2019
  • Microsoft Office 2019 for 32-bit editions
  • Microsoft Office 2019 for 64-bit editions
  • 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 LTSC 2024 for 32-bit editions
  • Microsoft Office LTSC 2024 for 64-bit editions
  • Microsoft Office LTSC for Mac 2024
  • Microsoft Word 2016 (32-bit edition)
  • Microsoft Word 2016 (64-bit edition)

Security Updates (6)

Acknowledgments

Haifei Li with <a href="https://pub.expmon.com/">EXPMON</a>

Revision History

  • 2025-10-14: Information published.