High severity · published Jan 26, 2026
CVE-2026-21509
Microsoft Office Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability
In wildKEV
7.8
CVSS
70.8%
EPSS
Yes
On KEV
Description
Reliance on untrusted inputs in a security decision in Microsoft Office allows an unauthorized attacker to bypass a security feature locally.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)70.8% · higher than 99% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildYes
CISA KEVListed Jan 26, 2026
Federal remediation dueFeb 16, 2026
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
OF
Office · Microsoft
2016; 2016; 2019; 2019 · source: NVD, KEV
M3
Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise · Microsoft
16.0.1 before https://aka.ms/OfficeSecurityReleases · source: vendor
MO
Microsoft Office 2016 · Microsoft
16.0.0 before 16.0.5539.1001 · source: vendor
MO
Microsoft Office 2019 · Microsoft
19.0.0 before 16.0.10417.20095 · source: vendor
MO
Microsoft Office LTSC 2021 · Microsoft
16.0.1 before https://aka.ms/OfficeSecurityReleases · source: vendor
MO
Microsoft Office LTSC 2024 · Microsoft
16.0.0 before https://aka.ms/OfficeSecurityReleases · source: vendor
OL
Office Long Term Servicing Channel · Microsoft
2021; 2021; 2024; 2024 · source: NVD
In the news
AdvisoryHigh
Microsoft releases update to address zero-day vulnerability in Microsoft Office
Microsoft has published three out-of-band (OOB) updates so far in January 2026. One of these updates was released to address a vulnerability, CVE-2026-21509, affecting Microsoft Office that has been reportedly exploited in the wild.
Jan 29, 2026·Cisco Talos Intelligence
VulnerabilityHigh
[CISA KEV] CVE-2026-21509: Microsoft Office - Microsoft Office Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability
Microsoft Office contains a security feature bypass vulnerability in which reliance on untrusted inputs in a security decision in Microsoft Office could allow an unauthorized attacker to bypass a security feature locally. Some of the impacted product(s) could be end-of-life (EoL) and/or end-of-service (EoS). Users are advised to discontinue use and/or transition to a supported version.
Jan 26, 2026·CISA KEV
Affected product
OF
Office
Microsoft
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