Microsoft Office Word: Out-of-bounds read enables remote code execution
Summary
Microsoft Office Word contains an out-of-bounds read vulnerability (CWE-125) that allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code over a network. Exploitation requires that a victim opens a crafted document, for example an email attachment or a download. The NVD record was still awaiting analysis at publication, and the sources checked show no known exploitation.
Affected
- Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise (32-bit and x64): 16.0.1 up to the fixed build
- Microsoft Office 365 for Mac: 1.0.0 before 16.115.26110837
- Microsoft Office LTSC 2021 (32-bit and x64): 16.0.1 before 16.0.14334.21048
- Microsoft Office LTSC 2024 (32-bit and x64): 16.0.0 up to the fixed build
- Microsoft Office LTSC for Mac 2021 and 2024: 16.0.0 or 16.0.1 before 16.115.26110837
Fixed in
- Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise: Unknown. The CVE record links to https://aka.ms/OfficeSecurityReleases instead of a version number.
- Microsoft Office 365 for Mac: 16.115.26110837
- Microsoft Office LTSC 2021: 16.0.14334.21048
- Microsoft Office LTSC 2024: Unknown from the CVE record. A third-party mirror lists 16.0.17932.21140, which is not confirmed.
- Microsoft Office LTSC for Mac 2021 and 2024: 16.115.26110837
Workaround
- Unknown. No Microsoft-published workaround was found.
- Install the November 2026 Office security updates first.
- Keep Protected View and macro restrictions enabled.
- Block untrusted attachments at the mail gateway.
Exploitation
- No public proof-of-concept found.
- No known exploitation in the wild for this CVE in the sources checked.
- CVSS vector includes E:U (Exploit Code Maturity: Unproven).
- CISA SSVC: Exploitation none, Automatable no, Technical Impact total.
Our recommendation
- Confirm the fixed build for each Office channel on the MSRC advisory page.
- Inventory all Office installations (Microsoft 365, LTSC 2021/2024, Mac).
- Deploy the November 2026 Office updates with priority, even without known exploitation.
- Monitor the NVD record and the CISA KEV catalogue for changes in exploitation status.
Information from Microsoft (Patch Tuesday November 2026)
Public exploits
PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit and Exploit-DB list nothing for this CVE.
Research sources
- Microsoft Security Update Guide: CVE-2026-111298 msrc.microsoft.com
- CVE Record CVE-2026-111298 www.cve.org
- Qualys: Microsoft Patch Tuesday November 2026 review blog.qualys.com
- Netizen: Microsoft November 2026 Patch Tuesday blog.netizen.net
- Trinetri: Patch Tuesday resources trinetriops.com
Researched and written up in English and German by an AI (Claude by Anthropic) based on NVD, CISA, EPSS and the sources listed. The vendor information is authoritative. Researched on 10 Nov 2026, 23:15.
Original description (NVD)
Out-of-bounds read in Microsoft Office Word allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code over a network.
NVD references (1)
Sources
The tracker combines official, freely usable data sources – updated continuously:
- NVD (NIST) – CVEs, rating (CVSS), affected products
- CISA KEV – vulnerabilities confirmed by CISA as actively exploited
- CISA Vulnrichment – CISA assessment (SSVC) in the official CVE record
- FIRST EPSS – probability of exploitation
- Microsoft MSRC – Patch Tuesday: vulnerabilities, severity, updates
- PoC-in-GitHub – public proof-of-concept repositories
- Metasploit (Rapid7) – modules of the Metasploit Framework
- Exploit-DB (OffSec) – archive of public exploits (links only)
- Patch days: official vendor pages (linked per vendor) (Vendor patch days)
This product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS data © FIRST.org.
Affected? We can help.
We check whether your systems are affected, install updates and close the gap – continuously with the System Health Checker if you wish.