Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2025-21395 is a high-severity Microsoft Access remote code execution vulnerability. A successful attack could let an attacker run code after a user interacts with malicious content. The sources show official Microsoft remediation is available, but do not show known active exploitation.
Executive priority
Patch on the normal high-severity client application timeline, with priority for teams that process external files. Escalate if unsupported or unpatched Office installations are discovered.
Technical view
The vulnerability is listed as CWE-122 with CVSS 3.1 score 7.8. The vector is local attack, low complexity, no privileges required, and user interaction required, with high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact. Affected products include Microsoft Access 2016, Office 2019, Office LTSC 2021/2024, and Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise.
Likely exposure
Organizations with deployed Microsoft Access or affected Office/Microsoft 365 versions may be exposed, especially on user workstations handling external files. Exposure depends on installed versions, update status, and whether users can open untrusted Office content.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not identify public exploitation or CISA KEV listing. CVSS marks exploit code maturity as unproven. Treat this as a serious client-side risk because user interaction can lead to code execution with high impact.
Researcher notes
Evidence supports a high-impact RCE condition requiring user interaction, but the bundle does not include exploit mechanics, public exploit confirmation, or detailed workaround guidance. Base validation on installed product/version evidence and Microsoft update status.
Mitigation direction
- Apply Microsoft’s official update for CVE-2025-21395.
- Review the MSRC advisory for product-specific remediation guidance.
- Prioritize endpoints running Access or affected Office versions.
- Limit opening untrusted Office or Access content until patched.
- Track exceptions for any systems that cannot be updated promptly.
Validation and detection
- Inventory installed Microsoft Access and Office versions.
- Confirm affected products match the MSRC advisory list.
- Verify the relevant Microsoft update is installed.
- Check vulnerability management scans for CVE-2025-21395 status.
- Document unpatched endpoints and compensating controls.
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-122: 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-2025-21395 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 Access 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.
Heap-based Buffer Overflow
Heap-based Buffer Overflow represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.