Affects Microsoft Word, a core, widely-used app; enables local code execution via crafted documents.
CVE-2026-20944
Out-of-bounds read in MS Word enables local code execution.
Is CVE-2026-20944 being exploited?
Not confirmed. CVE-2026-20944 does not appear in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which records only exploitation that has been observed and reported publicly. That is evidence of absence of a report, not evidence the flaw is unattacked. EPSS currently estimates a 0.52% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How severe is CVE-2026-20944?
CVE-2026-20944 is rated High with a CVSS score of 8.4. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.
Is there a patch for CVE-2026-20944?
Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-20944. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.
What does CVE-2026-20944 affect?
CVE-2026-20944 affects Microsoft Word, Microsoft Office. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.
What should I do about CVE-2026-20944?
Apply updates when released; enable automatic Office updates.
Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.
Code execution on a user PC via crafted Word document; attacker can run arbitrary code.
Patch when possible
- affected>= 16.0.1 and < https://aka.ms/OfficeSecurityReleases
- affected>= 16.0.1 and < 16.105.26011018
- affected>= 16.0.0 and < 16.105.26011018
As published in the CVE Program record. A version outside these ranges is not a statement that it is unaffected — vendors sometimes understate a range, and distribution-backported builds carry upstream numbers that do not reflect what was patched into them.