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365 AppsApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2022-41106

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-11-09
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
94/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

Microsoft Excel contains a remote code execution vulnerability that could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code by enticing a user to open a specially crafted Excel file. The high CVSS score of 8.8 indicates significant potential impact if successfully exploited.

MitigationApply available Microsoft security updates for Microsoft Excel promptly and exercise caution when opening Excel files from untrusted sources.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
365 AppsApplication
Affected:all versions
ExcelApplication
Affected:= 2013= 2016
OfficeApplication
Affected:= 2019
Office Long Term Servicing ChannelApplication
Affected:= 2021
Office Online ServerApplication
Affected:all versions
Office Web Apps ServerApplication
Affected:= 2013

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify installed Microsoft Excel version
    Open Excel, go to File > Account > About Excel, or go to File > Account > About and check the version shown (e.g., 16.0.xxxxx.xxxx)
    Affected if The version displayed matches or falls within the affected versions: Microsoft 365 Apps (all versions), Excel 2013, Excel 2016, Office 2019, Office LTSC 2021, Office Online Server (all versions), Office Web Apps Server 2013
  2. Check Windows installed programs for Office version
    Open Control Panel > Programs and Features, look for Microsoft Office or Microsoft Excel in the list and note the version year (2013, 2016, 2019, 2021) or Microsoft 365 subscription
    Affected if Microsoft Office/Excel 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, or Microsoft 365 Apps is installed (all versions of Microsoft 365 Apps are affected)
  3. Verify Office update channel for Microsoft 365
    Open any Office app > File > Account > Update Options > View Update History, or run 'msinfo32' and check Software Environment > Office 12.0 Applications for version details
    Affected if The installation is on the Monthly, Monthly Enterprise, or Semi-Annual channel (all Microsoft 365 channels are affected)
  4. Check for Office Web Apps Server or Office Online Server
    If hosting internal SharePoint or Office Web Apps Server, check installed programs for 'Microsoft Office Web Apps Server 2013' or 'Microsoft Office Online Server'
    Affected if Office Web Apps Server 2013 or Office Online Server is installed (all versions are affected per the CVE)

You are affected if any version of Microsoft Excel 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, Microsoft 365 Apps, Office Web Apps Server 2013, or Office Online Server is installed, as all versions of these products are listed as vulnerable in this CVE.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply available Microsoft security updates for Microsoft Excel promptly and exercise caution when opening Excel files from untrusted sources.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

November 2022 Microsoft Security Updates (KB5012122 for Excel Desktop; corresponding server updates for Office Online Server / Office Web Apps Server)

  1. Navigate to Microsoft Update Catalog (update.microsoft.com) or use Windows Update to check for November 2022 security updates
  2. For Excel Desktop: Install the November 2022 security update (KB5012122 or subsequent updates) for your specific version (Excel 2013, Excel 2016, Office 2019, or Office 2021 LTSC)
  3. For Excel Web Apps / Office Online Server: Apply the corresponding November 2022 security update to the server
  4. Verify the update was installed successfully via Office app version information or Windows Update history
  5. Restart any running Office applications and confirm they launch without errors
Caveat Standard Microsoft security update - minimal risk of breaking changes; test Office documents after patching in regulated environments

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in 365 Apps Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,970
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,152.

Scan for this in your stack

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dbcve dependency scanner

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-41106 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data