Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A flaw in supported Microsoft Word and Office editions can let an attacker run code after a user interacts with malicious content. Successful exploitation could compromise data, alter systems, or disrupt operations. The severity is high, but the supplied sources do not establish active exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat this as a high-priority endpoint patching issue because successful exploitation could produce full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact. Prioritize heavily used and sensitive-user workstations, while avoiding claims of an active campaign without additional evidence.
Technical view
CVE-2024-21379 is a Microsoft Word remote-code-execution vulnerability associated with CWE-190 integer overflow. Its CVSS 3.1 score is 7.8. The vector indicates low complexity, no privileges required, required user interaction, a local attack vector, and high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely where listed Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise, Office 2019, Office LTSC 2021, or Word 2016 installations have not received Microsoft’s applicable security update. The supplied version data is limited and should be confirmed against Microsoft’s advisory.
Exploitation context
The CVSS vector requires user interaction and identifies a local attack vector. The bundle marks this CVE as absent from KEV and provides no cited evidence of active exploitation. Exploit maturity is listed as unproven, so real-world exploitation status remains unconfirmed.
Researcher notes
The supplied evidence identifies CWE-190 and the CVSS characteristics but does not describe the vulnerable parsing path, triggering file structure, affected build ranges, or exploitation telemetry. Researchers should use Microsoft’s advisory and CVE record to confirm revisions without inferring undocumented technical details.
Mitigation direction
- Apply Microsoft’s applicable security updates for CVE-2024-21379.
- Prioritize endpoints running the listed Word and Office products.
- Consult Microsoft’s advisory for product-specific update and deployment guidance.
- Use existing controls to restrict untrusted documents until patching is verified.
Validation and detection
- Inventory installations of the listed Microsoft Word and Office products.
- Compare installed builds and updates with Microsoft’s CVE advisory.
- Verify update deployment through endpoint or software-management reporting.
- Retest update compliance after installation and restart requirements are completed.
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-190: 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-2024-21379 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.
SSVC decision data
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:C1.85.9microsoftVulnerability 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
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution VulnerabilityCVE reference, microsoft · vendor-advisory, patch
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.
Integer Overflow or Wraparound
Integer Overflow or Wraparound represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.