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CVE-2022-41063 Microsoft CVE debrief

CVE-2022-41063 is a remote code execution vulnerability in Microsoft Excel with a CVSS 3.1 score of 7.8 (HIGH). Published by NVD on November 9, 2022, and last modified on May 19, 2026, this vulnerability affects multiple Microsoft Office and Excel deployments including Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise (x64), Excel 2013 SP1 (including RT), Excel 2016, Office 2019, Office LTSC 2021, Office Online Server, and Office Web Apps Server 2013 SP1. The vulnerability requires local attack vector with user interaction, where an attacker would need to convince a victim to open a maliciously crafted Excel file to achieve high-impact confidentiality, integrity, and availability compromises. Microsoft addressed this vulnerability through their security update guidance. No known exploitation in ransomware campaigns has been documented, and the vulnerability is not listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

Vendor
Microsoft
Product
Microsoft Office 2019
CVSS
HIGH 7.8
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2022-11-09
Original CVE updated
2026-05-19
Advisory published
2022-11-09
Advisory updated
2026-05-19

Who should care

Organizations running Microsoft Excel 2013 SP1, Excel 2016, Office 2019, Office LTSC 2021, Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise, or Office Online/Web Apps Server 2013 SP1 should prioritize patching. Security teams should focus on email security controls and user awareness given the user-interaction requirement. Compliance-focused organizations should track remediation against CVE-2022-41063 for audit purposes.

Technical summary

This vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel's parsing of specially crafted file formats. Successful exploitation requires user interaction—specifically, opening a malicious Excel document. The attack complexity is low, and successful exploitation grants the attacker high-impact capabilities across confidentiality, integrity, and availability dimensions. The local attack vector indicates the vulnerability is triggered through user-initiated file opening rather than network-based attack. Microsoft has released security updates addressing this vulnerability across all affected product versions.

Defensive priority

high

Recommended defensive actions

  • Apply Microsoft security updates for affected Excel and Office versions per MSRC guidance
  • Implement attack surface reduction rules to block Office applications from creating child processes
  • Enable Microsoft Defender Application Guard for Office to isolate untrusted documents
  • Configure Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Safe Attachments to detonate Excel files in sandboxed environment
  • Restrict macro execution and external content in Excel through Group Policy or Intune configuration
  • Educate users on phishing risks and safe handling of unsolicited Excel attachments
  • Review and update software inventory to identify vulnerable Excel/Office installations requiring patching

Evidence notes

Vulnerability confirmed through official Microsoft security guidance and NVD CPE criteria. Affected product versions derived from NVD CPE data with medium confidence vendor attribution. CVSS vector confirms local attack vector with user interaction requirement.

Official resources

Microsoft disclosed this vulnerability through their Security Response Center on November 9, 2022, as part of their monthly security update release. The CVE record was subsequently modified in May 2026, reflecting ongoing maintenance of the