CVE-2026-97738: CWE-416: Use After Free in Microsoft Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise

This vulnerability (CVE-2026-97738) involves a use-after-free condition in Microsoft Office Excel, part of Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise. Exploitation could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code remotely without privileges, requiring user interaction. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 8.8, indicating high severity with network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required, user interaction required, and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Multiple affected versions are identified, and Microsoft has released an official fix. The vendor advisory confirms the patch availability and that remediation is managed for this cloud service.

Successful exploitation can lead to remote code execution by an unauthorized attacker, potentially allowing full compromise of the affected system. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system. No known exploits are reported in the wild at this time.

An official fix is available from Microsoft. Users and administrators should apply the provided security updates as detailed in the Microsoft advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-97738. Since this is a cloud-hosted service, Microsoft manages remediation server-side. Check the vendor advisory for the latest status and guidance.