Race condition in Microsoft Office Click-To-Run allows privilege escalation
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- High
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA.
Summary
Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise from 16.0.1, before the fixed build listed in Microsoft's Office security release notes, contains a time-of-check time-of-use race condition (CWE-367) in Microsoft Office Click-To-Run. An authorized local attacker with low privileges can exploit the race to gain higher privileges, and exploitation is of high complexity.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-28
Description from the CNA
Time-of-check time-of-use (toctou) race condition in Microsoft Office Click-To-Run allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise | 16.0.1 to before https://aka.ms/OfficeSecurityReleases | https://aka.ms/OfficeSecurityReleases | Patch available | CNA |
- Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise VendorMicrosoft Affected 16.0.1 to before https://aka.ms/OfficeSecurityReleases Fixed in https://aka.ms/OfficeSecurityReleases Patch available CNA
Remediation
Microsoft lists the fixed builds for Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise in its Office security release notes.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-28
- Fix · CNA Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise (Microsoft) Fixed in https://aka.ms/OfficeSecurityReleases
Timeline
- 2026-10-13 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-97774
- 2026-10-13 Alias added: GHSA-x7rq-wc5m-cvmj
References
More Microsoft 365 Apps vulnerabilities
- TI-2024-14173 Microsoft Outlook Remote Code Execution Vulnerability KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2023-09240 Microsoft Outlook Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2024-25471 Microsoft Project Remote Code Execution Vulnerability KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2023-17652 Microsoft Outlook Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2026-17368 Microsoft Word Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 7.8
- TI-2026-17363 Microsoft Office Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 7.8
Sources
- CVE-2026-97774 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-97774 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-x7rq-wc5m-cvmj · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
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