Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This is a high-severity Microsoft Office Graphics flaw that could let an attacker run code if a user interacts with malicious content. It affects multiple Office, Microsoft 365 Apps, LTSC, and Mac Office versions. The supplied sources do not show active exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat this as a normal high-priority endpoint patching issue, not an emergency exploitation incident based on the supplied evidence. Prioritize broad Office patch compliance because successful exploitation could compromise endpoint data and availability.
Technical view
CVE-2023-33149 is a Microsoft Office Graphics remote code execution vulnerability mapped to CWE-416, use after free. CVSS 3.1 is 7.8 with AV:L, AC:L, PR:N, UI:R, and high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact. Microsoft lists official remediation availability.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely on endpoints running the listed Office 2013 SP1, Office 2016, Office 2019, Office LTSC 2021, Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise, or Mac Office variants that are not current with Microsoft updates.
Exploitation context
The CVSS vector indicates low complexity, no privileges required, and required user interaction. CISA KEV status is false in the supplied bundle, and CVSS exploit maturity is unproven. No cited source here confirms active exploitation.
Researcher notes
The bundle identifies CWE-416 and full high CIA impact but does not include root-cause details, proof-of-concept status, exploit telemetry, or file-format specifics. Avoid assuming affected components beyond Microsoft Office Graphics and the listed products.
Mitigation direction
- Apply Microsoft updates for affected Office products per the MSRC advisory.
- Prioritize Office endpoints used for email, document handling, and external file exchange.
- Confirm Microsoft 365 Apps update channels are receiving current security builds.
- For unsupported or hard-to-patch systems, consult Microsoft guidance for safe replacement or isolation.
Validation and detection
- Inventory installed Microsoft Office products and versions across Windows and Mac endpoints.
- Compare detected versions against the affected products listed by Microsoft.
- Verify patch compliance through endpoint management or vulnerability scanning reports.
- Confirm users handling external documents are on patched Office builds.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-416: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupExecution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2023-33149 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C1.85.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.8HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- Microsoft Office Graphics Remote Code Execution VulnerabilityCVE reference · vendor-advisory
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Use After Free
Use After Free represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.