Skip to main content
Apexward Pulse
Type Vulnerability

Microsoft · Privilege escalation

Microsoft Office Outlook Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

2 sourcesCVE-2026-108398CVE-2023-23397CVE-2026-70242+5 more

At a glance

Medium
Suggested 7-day window, counted from the last update
ActiveConfirmed in-the-wild exploitation
Evidence-weighted, not popularity
Signal

Actively exploited in the wild — prioritise confirming exposure.

Why Medium

Medium rather than High: exposure is scored at a default because we cannot see your systems or suppliers. If you run or depend on Microsoft Office, treat it as High.

Briefing

  • Microsoft is publishing 1,413 own-product vulnerabilities on October 2026 Patch Tuesday, including 1,102 vulnerabilities in Windows. Anyone who enjoyed last month’s record-setting Patch Tuesday will love the October 2026 edition, because it’s much bigger still. As Rapid7 has noted over the course of 2026, there is every reason to suppose that vulnerability volumes will continue to rise. Microsoft is aware of exploitation in the wild for just one of the vulnerabilities published today, as well as public disclosure for two others.

Questions to ask IT

  • Do we run Microsoft Office, and which versions?
  • Is any of it reachable from the internet?
  • Have we checked whether it has already been used against us?
  • If it is still not patched, what mitigation is in place, and what is holding the fix up?

Next steps

  1. Confirm exposure and remediation status for affected products

Summary

  • Microsoft is publishing 1,413 own-product vulnerabilities on October 2026 Patch Tuesday, including 1,102 in Windows.
  • Microsoft is aware of exploitation in the wild for one vulnerability published today.

Read the original reportMicrosoft Security Update Guide RSS(opens in a new tab)

Products and services involved

Same event, different frames

Distinct often headline the same incident differently.

Pulse

Last checked 3d ago · Recheck overdue since 6 Nov 2026, 10:20 UK time

  1. Story13 Oct 2026, 21:41 UK time · 13 Oct

    Linked reporting from Microsoft Security Update Guide RSS (vendor psirt).

    Read source (Microsoft Security Update Guide RSS)
  2. Signal14 Oct 2026, 01:02 UK time · 14 Oct

    moved from Low to Medium. Listed on the CISA catalogue. Suggested changed to 7d.

  3. Story14 Oct 2026, 01:02 UK time · 14 Oct

    Linked reporting from Rapid7 Blog (research).

    Read source (Rapid7 Blog)

3 entries so far. The timeline chart appears once this story has more history.

Sources

How we know

Statements extracted from sources. Higher confidence means stronger corroboration.

  • ClaimedHeadline60% confidence

    Microsoft Office Outlook Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

  • ProbableSummary fact75% confidence

    Microsoft is publishing 1,413 own-product vulnerabilities on October 2026 Patch Tuesday, including 1,102 vulnerabilities in Windows. Anyone who enjoyed last month’s record-setting Patch Tuesday will love the October 2026 edition, because it’s much bigger still. As Rapid7 has noted over the course of 2026, there is every reason to suppose that vulnerability volumes will continue to rise.

  • ConfirmedCVE identifier95% confidence

    Event involves CVE-2023-23397

  • ConfirmedKnown-exploited catalogue98% confidence

    CVE-2023-23397 is confirmed as exploited in the wild (US known-exploited catalogue)

  • ConfirmedCVE identifier95% confidence

    Event involves CVE-2026-108398

  • ConfirmedCVE identifier95% confidence

    Event involves CVE-2026-70242

  • ConfirmedCVE identifier95% confidence

    Event involves CVE-2026-70291

  • ConfirmedCVE identifier95% confidence

    Event involves CVE-2026-88156

  • ConfirmedCVE identifier95% confidence

    Event involves CVE-2026-96951

  • ConfirmedKnown-exploited catalogue98% confidence

    CVE-2026-96951 is confirmed as exploited in the wild (US known-exploited catalogue)

  • ConfirmedCVE identifier95% confidence

    Event involves CVE-2026-97016

  • ConfirmedCVE identifier95% confidence

    Event involves CVE-2026-97749