CVE-2022-21841

Code execution in the user's security context

Published Jan 11, 2022 · Updated Jan 2, 2025

Remote code execution in Excel within affected Microsoft Office releases allows attackers to run code after a user opens a malicious file. Microsoft has not published the affected Excel component, parsing operation, or memory-safety failure, so the precise mechanism is undisclosed. Exploitation requires user interaction with a crafted file; successful code runs in the user's security context and can affect data and availability accessible to that account.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability2.60%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Remote code execution in Excel within affected Microsoft Office releases allows attackers to run code after a user opens a malicious file. Microsoft has not published the affected Excel component, parsing operation, or memory-safety failure, so the precise mechanism is undisclosed. Exploitation requires user interaction with a crafted file; successful code runs in the user's security context and can affect data and availability accessible to that account.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-21841
Published
Jan 11, 2022
Updated
Jan 2, 2025
Vendor
Microsoft
Product
Microsoft Office 2016
Classifications
T1203, T1204.002
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 11, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jan 2, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=16.0.0 <16.0.5266.1000

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Microsoft · Microsoft Office 2016version=16.0.0 <16.0.5266.1000
Microsoft · Microsoft Office 2019version=19.0.0 <https://aka.ms/OfficeSecurityReleases
Microsoft · Microsoft Office LTSC for Mac 2021version=16.0.1 <16.57.22011101
Microsoft · Microsoft Office 2013version=15.0.0 <15.0.5415.1000
Microsoft · Microsoft Office 2019 for Macversion=16.0.0 <16.57.22011101
Microsoft · Microsoft Office LTSC 2021version=16.0.1 <https://aka.ms/OfficeSecurityReleases
Microsoft · Microsoft 365 Apps for enterpriseversion=16.0.1 <https://aka.ms/OfficeSecurityReleases

Published CVSS scores

9.3NVDAV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
7.8MicrosoftCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1203Exploitation for Client Execution
T1204.002User Execution Malicious File

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo