CVE-2025-32704 is a high-severity buffer over-read vulnerability identified in Microsoft Office Excel 2019 (version 19.0.0). This vulnerability is classified under CWE-126, which pertains to buffer over-read issues where a program reads data beyond the intended buffer boundaries. In this case, the flaw exists in the way Microsoft Office Excel processes certain data structures, allowing an unauthorized attacker to execute arbitrary code locally without requiring user interaction or prior authentication. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.4 reflects the significant impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with an attack vector limited to local access but with low complexity and no privileges required. Exploitation could lead to complete system compromise, including unauthorized data access, modification, or denial of service. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability's characteristics make it a critical risk for environments where Microsoft Office 2019 is used, especially on systems where local access can be gained by an attacker. The lack of available patches at the time of publication increases the urgency for mitigation and monitoring.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a substantial risk due to the widespread use of Microsoft Office 2019 across enterprises, government agencies, and critical infrastructure sectors. Successful exploitation could result in unauthorized code execution, potentially leading to data breaches, disruption of business operations, and compromise of sensitive information. Given the high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts, organizations handling personal data under GDPR could face regulatory penalties if breaches occur. The local attack vector means that insider threats or attackers who gain limited local access (e.g., through phishing, physical access, or compromised endpoints) could leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges or move laterally within networks. This elevates the threat level for sectors with high-value data such as finance, healthcare, and public administration in Europe.

1. Immediate implementation of strict access controls to limit local access to systems running Microsoft Office 2019, including endpoint security measures and user privilege restrictions. 2. Deploy application whitelisting and behavior monitoring to detect and prevent unauthorized execution of code stemming from Office applications. 3. Monitor for unusual local activity on endpoints, especially related to Excel processes, using advanced endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools. 4. Until a patch is released, consider disabling or restricting the use of Excel macros and embedded content that could trigger the vulnerability. 5. Educate users on the risks of local exploitation and enforce policies to prevent the introduction of untrusted files or software. 6. Maintain up-to-date backups and incident response plans tailored to potential local compromise scenarios. 7. Regularly check for and apply any security updates from Microsoft as soon as they become available to remediate this vulnerability.