#Microsoft Office

**According to the CVSS metric, privileges required is low (PR:L). What does that mean for this vulnerability?** Any authenticated user could trigger this vulnerability. It does not require admin or other elevated privileges.

**Is the Preview Pane an attack vector for this vulnerability?** No, the Preview Pane is not an attack vector.

**According to the CVSS metric, user interaction is required (UI:R). What interaction would the user have to do?** Exploitation of the vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted file. * In an email attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending the specially crafted file to the user and convincing the user to open the file. * In a web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a website (or leverage a compromised website that accepts or hosts user-provided content) containing a specially crafted file designed to exploit the vulnerability. An attacker would have no way to force users to visit the website. Instead, an attacker would have to convince users to click a link, typically by way of an enticement in an email or instant message, and then convince them to open the specially crafted file.

**Is the Preview Pane an attack vector for this vulnerability?** No, the Preview Pane is not an attack vector.

**Is the Attachment Preview Pane an attack vector for this vulnerability?** Yes. The attachment Preview Pane that is accessed when a user clicks to preview an attached file is an attack vector; however, the email Preview Pane itself is not.

**According to the CVSS metric, user interaction is required (UI:R). What interaction would the user have to do?** The user would have to click on install to be compromised by the attacker.

**Is this advisory related to the vulnerability that is documented by CVE-2023-36884 that was issued in July 2023?** Yes, this defense in depth update is not a vulnerability, but installing this update stops the attack chain leading to the Windows Search security feature bypass vulnerability (CVE-2023-36884). Microsoft recommends installing the Office updates discussed in this advisory as well as installing the Windows updates from August 2023.

**According to the CVSS metric, user interaction is required (UI:R). What interaction would the user have to do?** The user would have to click on install to be compromised by the attacker.

**According to the CVSS metric, user interaction is required (UI:R). What interaction would the user have to do?** Exploitation of the vulnerability requires the victim to open a specially crafted file and click through Office Security Prompt(s). An attacker would have no way to force users to open the file., * In an email attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending the specially crafted file to the user and convincing the user to open the file. * In a web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a website (or leverage a compromised website that accepts or hosts user-provided content) containing a specially crafted file designed to exploit the vulnerability.

**What privileges could be gained by an attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability?** An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute RPC functions that are restricted to local clients only.