Code execution via undisclosed use-after-free
Published Aug 12, 2025 · Updated Feb 13, 2026
Use-after-free in Microsoft Office Word allows local users to execute code by opening a crafted file after user interaction. Microsoft has not disclosed the affected Word component, the stale object's lifetime error, or how attacker-controlled document data reaches freed memory. Successful exploitation requires a local user to open the crafted file and grants code execution in that user's security context.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in Microsoft Office Word allows local users to execute code by opening a crafted file after user interaction. Microsoft has not disclosed the affected Word component, the stale object's lifetime error, or how attacker-controlled document data reaches freed memory. Successful exploitation requires a local user to open the crafted file and grants code execution in that user's security context.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-53738
- Published
- Aug 12, 2025
- Updated
- Feb 13, 2026
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Microsoft Office LTSC for Mac 2024
- Classifications
- CWE-416, T1203
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 12, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Feb 13, 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 <16.100.25081015
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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