CVE-2026-97010

Summary

A use-after-free vulnerability in Microsoft Office Excel allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code when a malicious file is opened, potentially leading to full system compromise.

Exploitability

Exploitation requires user interaction via opening a malicious Excel file over a network, making it moderately difficult but achievable with social engineering.

Blast radius

The vulnerability affects widely deployed Office applications across multiple versions, potentially enabling large-scale remote code execution across enterprise networks.

Detection

No reliable host or network indicator is derivable from the published description.

Prioritized remediation

Deploy the Microsoft Security Update KB5042819 for Excel 2021 and Office 2024, or upgrade to Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise version 2407 or later.

Analysis generated locally by garnet-coder (no data left the box). AI-assisted — verify against primary sources before acting.