Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Word software when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could use a specially crafted file to perform actions in the security context of the current user. The file could then take actions on behalf of the logged-on user with the same permissions as the current user. To exploit the vulnerability, a user must open a specially crafted file with an affected version of Microsoft Word software. Two possible email attack scenarios exist for this vulnerability: • With the first email attack scenario, an attacker could send a specially crafted email message to the user and wait for the user to click on the message. When the message renders via Microsoft Word in the Outlook Preview Pane, an attack could be triggered. • With the second scenario, an attacker could attach a specially crafted file to an email, send it to a user, and convince them to open it. In a web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a website (or leverage a compromised website that accepts or hosts user-provided content) that contains a specially crafted file that is designed to exploit the vulnerability. However, an attacker would have no way to force the user to visit the website. Instead, an attacker would have to convince the user to click a link, typically by way of an enticement in an email or other message, and then convince the user to open the specially crafted file. The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how Microsoft Word handles files in memory. For users who view their emails in Outlook, the Preview Pane attack vector can be mitigated by disabling this feature. The following registry keys can be set to disable the Preview Pane in Outlook on Windows, either via manual editing of the registry or by modifying Group Policy. Note Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk. For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys and Values" Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or view the "Add and Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" Help topics in Regedt32.exe. Outlook 2010: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Outlook\Options DWORD: DisableReadingPane Value: 1 Outlook 2013: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Outlook\Options DWORD: DisableReadingPane Value: 1 Outlook 2016, Outlook 2019, and Office 365 ProPlus: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\Options DWORD: DisableReadingPane Value: 1
- Published
- Aug 14, 2019
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 4.9% · 92th percentile
- CWE
- —
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Report tools
Action score
32
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 31 / 40 · 7.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 1 / 30 · 4.9%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- none
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- total
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| microsoft | office | cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:office |
| microsoft | office 365 proplus | cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:office_365_proplus |
| microsoft | office online server | cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:office_online_server |
| microsoft | office web apps | cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:office_web_apps |
| microsoft | office web apps server | cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:office_web_apps_server |
| microsoft | sharepoint enterprise server | cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:sharepoint_enterprise_server |
| microsoft | sharepoint server | cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:sharepoint_server |
| microsoft | word | cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:word |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- microsoft office2010
- microsoft office2016
- microsoft office2019
- microsoft office 365 proplusall versions
- microsoft office online serverall versions
- microsoft office web apps2010
- microsoft office web apps server2013
- microsoft sharepoint enterprise server2013
- microsoft sharepoint enterprise server2016
- microsoft sharepoint server2010
- microsoft sharepoint server2019
- microsoft word2010
- microsoft word2013
- microsoft word2016
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (microsoft). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
Microsoft Microsoft Office 2010 Service Pack 2
- 13.0.0.0 and later · before publicationaffected
Microsoft Microsoft Office 2016 for Mac
- 16.0.0 and later · before publicationaffected
Microsoft Microsoft Office 2019
- 19.0.0 and later · before https://aka.ms/OfficeSecurityReleasesaffected
Microsoft Microsoft Office 2019 for Mac
- 16.0.0 and later · before publicationaffected
Microsoft Microsoft Office Online Server
- 16.0.1 and later · before publicationaffected
Microsoft Microsoft Office Web Apps 2010 Service Pack 2
- 13.0.0 and later · before publicationaffected
Microsoft Microsoft Office Web Apps Server 2013 Service Pack 1
- 15.0.1 and later · before publicationaffected
Microsoft Microsoft SharePoint Enterprise Server 2013 Service Pack 1
- 15.0.0 and later · before publicationaffected
Microsoft Microsoft SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016
- 16.0.0 and later · before publicationaffected
Microsoft Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 Service Pack 2
- 13.0.0.0 and later · before publicationaffected
Microsoft Microsoft SharePoint Server 2019
- 16.0.0 and later · before publicationaffected
Microsoft Microsoft Word 2010 Service Pack 2
- 13.0.0.0 and later · before publicationaffected
Same product
microsoft: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2012-0158The (1) ListView, (2) ListView2, (3) TreeView, and (4) TreeView2 ActiveX controls in MSCOMCTL.OCX in the Common Controls in Microsoft OfficeKEV95Now
- CVE-2018-0798Equation Editor in Microsoft Office 2007, Microsoft Office 2010, Microsoft Office 2013, and Microsoft Office 2016 allows a remote code execuKEV94Now
- CVE-2017-11882Microsoft Office 2007 Service Pack 3, Microsoft Office 2010 Service Pack 2, Microsoft Office 2013 Service Pack 1, and Microsoft Office 2016 KEV91Now
- CVE-2017-0199Microsoft Office 2007 SP3, Microsoft Office 2010 SP2, Microsoft Office 2013 SP1, Microsoft Office 2016, Microsoft Windows Vista SP2, WindowsKEV91Now
- CVE-2015-1641Microsoft Word 2007 SP3, Office 2010 SP2, Word 2010 SP2, Word 2013 SP1, Word 2013 RT SP1, Word for Mac 2011, Office Compatibility Pack SP3, KEV90Now
- CVE-2018-0802Equation Editor in Microsoft Office 2007, Microsoft Office 2010, Microsoft Office 2013, and Microsoft Office 2016 allow a remote code executKEV89Now
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
No fix version is recorded for this entry. Check the references for vendor advisories.
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
- No account or password is required.
- A user must open a link or visit a page.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- high · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
—
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpChange log
No changes recorded on tracked fields yet. Score, KEV, exploit maturity and fix status changes appear here.
References
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.