Microsoft · Office
CVE-2026-21514
Microsoft Word Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability
What it is
Reliance on untrusted inputs in a security decision in Microsoft Office Word allows an unauthorized attacker to bypass a security feature locally.
CISA: Microsoft Office Word contains a reliance on untrusted inputs in a security decision vulnerability that could allow an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
What to do
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Deadline for US federal agencies: March 3, 2026
More exploited flaws from Microsoft
| Added | Vulnerability | Product | Severity | Attack chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 14, 2026 | Remote Code Execution | Office | High 8.8 | 43% |
| Jan 26, 2026 | Security Feature Bypass | Office | High 7.8 | 71% |
| Jan 7, 2026 | PowerPoint Code Injection | Office | High 8.8 | 67% |
| Aug 12, 2025 | Excel Remote Code Execution | Office | High 8.8 | 43% |
| Mar 14, 2023 | Outlook Privilege Escalation | Office | Critical 9.8 | 97% |
| Feb 14, 2023 | Publisher Security Feature Bypass | Office | High 7.3 | 12% |
| Jun 8, 2022 | Object Record Corruption | Office | High 7.8 | 53% |
| Jun 8, 2022 | Buffer Overflow | Office | High 7.8 | 60% |
Sources: Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (CISA, public domain), CVE records (cve.org) and EPSS (FIRST). The chance of attacks is the EPSS estimate that someone will try to exploit the flaw in the next 30 days.