Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A memory safety flaw in affected Microsoft Excel and Office products could let an attacker gain higher privileges after a user interacts with the application. A successful attack could compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The supplied evidence rates it high severity but does not establish active exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat this as a high-priority patching item because successful exploitation could materially affect data and system integrity. Prioritize exposed business users and shared Office infrastructure, while avoiding emergency claims unsupported by evidence of active exploitation.
Technical view
CVE-2024-43465 is a CWE-416 use-after-free vulnerability with CVSS 3.1 score 7.8. The vector indicates local access, low attack complexity, no prior privileges, and required user interaction. Scope remains unchanged, while potential confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts are high.
Likely exposure
Exposure exists where the listed Microsoft 365 Apps, Excel 2016, Office 2019, Office LTSC 2021, Office LTSC for Mac 2021, or Office Online Server versions remain unpatched. The bundle does not identify later affected versions or the precise triggering workflow.
Exploitation context
The CVSS vector requires local access and user interaction, limiting remote, unattended exploitation. CISA KEV status is false, and the CVSS exploit-maturity metric is unproven. No supplied source confirms public exploitation, active attacks, or exploit availability.
Researcher notes
The supplied record provides classification, affected product entries, CVSS characteristics, and a Microsoft patch reference, but no root-cause detail beyond CWE-416. It does not describe the vulnerable component, trigger, privilege level obtained, public proof of concept, or attack telemetry. Validate conclusions against the current Microsoft advisory.
Mitigation direction
- Apply the Microsoft security update referenced by the vendor advisory.
- Prioritize systems running the specifically listed Microsoft Office and Excel versions.
- Check Microsoft guidance for product-specific update packages and deployment requirements.
- Use normal controls for untrusted Office content until remediation is verified.
Validation and detection
- Inventory installations of every product and version listed in the source bundle.
- Compare installed build and update status with Microsoft's CVE advisory.
- Confirm security updates completed successfully across managed Windows, Mac, and server assets.
- Re-scan representative endpoints and servers after deployment.
- Document exceptions where affected products cannot yet be updated.
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 lookupPrivilege behavior lookup
The CVE wording references privilege impact, so privilege escalation and authorization behavior review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2024-43465 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 Excel Elevation of Privilege 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.
Use After Free
Use After Free represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.