CVE-2025-47953 is a high-severity vulnerability identified in Microsoft Office 2019 (version 19.0.0) characterized as a Use-After-Free (UAF) flaw. This vulnerability falls under CWE-641, which pertains to improper restriction of names for files and other resources, indicating that the flaw arises from inadequate validation or management of resource identifiers leading to memory corruption. Specifically, the UAF condition allows an unauthorized attacker to execute arbitrary code locally without requiring user interaction or privileges. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.4 reflects the critical nature of this vulnerability, with an attack vector of local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), and no user interaction needed (UI:N). The impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is rated high, meaning successful exploitation could lead to full system compromise. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability’s characteristics suggest it could be weaponized for local privilege escalation or lateral movement within compromised environments. The lack of available patches at the time of publication underscores the urgency for organizations to implement interim mitigations and monitoring. Given Microsoft Office 2019’s widespread use in enterprise environments, this vulnerability poses a significant risk, especially in scenarios where attackers have local access or can trick users into opening malicious documents.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-47953 could be substantial. Microsoft Office 2019 remains a core productivity suite across many sectors including government, finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure. Exploitation of this vulnerability could enable attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the logged-in user, potentially leading to data breaches, ransomware deployment, or disruption of business operations. The local attack vector means that initial access is required, but this could be achieved through social engineering, phishing with malicious documents, or insider threats. Confidentiality of sensitive data could be compromised, integrity of documents and systems corrupted, and availability of services disrupted. The high severity and ease of exploitation without user interaction increase the risk profile. Additionally, the lack of patches at the time of disclosure may delay remediation, increasing exposure windows. Organizations with strict data protection regulations such as GDPR must be particularly vigilant to avoid regulatory penalties resulting from data breaches stemming from this vulnerability.

Given the absence of official patches, European organizations should adopt a layered defense approach. First, enforce strict local access controls and limit user privileges to the minimum necessary to reduce the attack surface. Implement application whitelisting and endpoint protection solutions capable of detecting anomalous behavior associated with use-after-free exploitation. Employ network segmentation to isolate critical systems and restrict lateral movement. Educate users about the risks of opening unsolicited or suspicious Office documents, even from trusted sources. Utilize advanced threat detection tools that monitor memory corruption attempts and unusual process activities. Regularly audit and monitor logs for signs of exploitation attempts. Once Microsoft releases patches, prioritize rapid deployment across all affected systems. Additionally, consider deploying sandboxing or document viewing solutions that can safely handle Office files without exposing the underlying system to risk.