User-assisted arbitrary code execution
Published Aug 12, 2021 · Updated Aug 10, 2026
Remote code execution in Microsoft Word in affected Microsoft Office builds allows local users to execute code after user interaction. Microsoft has not published the malformed content type, parser locus, or unsafe operation that produces code execution. Exploitation requires a user to open attacker-supplied content in Word, and successful execution runs with that user's permissions.
Summary
What happened
Remote code execution in Microsoft Word in affected Microsoft Office builds allows local users to execute code after user interaction. Microsoft has not published the malformed content type, parser locus, or unsafe operation that produces code execution. Exploitation requires a user to open attacker-supplied content in Word, and successful execution runs with that user's permissions.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2021-36941
- Published
- Aug 12, 2021
- Updated
- Aug 10, 2026
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Microsoft Office 2019 for Mac
- Classifications
- T1203, T1204.002
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 12, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 10, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=16.0.0 <16.52.21080801
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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