CVE-2024-38226
Microsoft Publisher Protection Mechanism Failure Vulnerability
Microsoft Publisher
Microsoft Publisher Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability
Exploitation status
CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities
Listed by CISA on 10 September 2024. US federal agencies were required to remediate it by 1 October 2024.
EPSS — exploitation probability
FIRST puts the probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days at 2.7%, which is higher than 85.4% of all scored vulnerabilities. EPSS is a forecast of activity, not a measure of severity, and it is rescored daily.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Frequently asked questions
Is CVE-2024-38226 being exploited by ransomware groups?
No ransomware group in this database is currently recorded as exploiting CVE-2024-38226.
What does CVE-2024-38226 affect?
CVE-2024-38226 affects Microsoft Publisher. Microsoft Publisher Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability
How severe is CVE-2024-38226?
CVE-2024-38226 is rated HIGH with a CVSS base score of 7.3. EPSS puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 2.7%, higher than 85.4% of all scored vulnerabilities. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, with a federal remediation deadline of 1 October 2024.
How should organisations respond to CVE-2024-38226?
Apply the vendor patch for Microsoft Publisher as the first priority, and treat any internet-facing instance as the most urgent. Because this vulnerability is associated with ransomware activity, also review whether the affected systems were reachable before patching, rather than assuming that patching alone closes the incident.