Jan 2026: Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
CVE-2026-20944 Published on January 13, 2026
Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Out-of-bounds read in Microsoft Office Word allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code locally.
Weakness Type
Out-of-bounds Read
The software reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer. Typically, this can allow attackers to read sensitive information from other memory locations or cause a crash. A crash can occur when the code reads a variable amount of data and assumes that a sentinel exists to stop the read operation, such as a NUL in a string. The expected sentinel might not be located in the out-of-bounds memory, causing excessive data to be read, leading to a segmentation fault or a buffer overflow. The software may modify an index or perform pointer arithmetic that references a memory location that is outside of the boundaries of the buffer. A subsequent read operation then produces undefined or unexpected results.
Products Associated with CVE-2026-20944
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Affected Versions
Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise:- Version 16.0.1 and below https://aka.ms/OfficeSecurityReleases is affected.
- Version 16.0.1 and below 16.105.26011018 is affected.
- Version 16.0.0 and below 16.105.26011018 is affected.
Exploit Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) scores estimate the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. The percentile shows you how this score compares to all other vulnerabilities.