# Microsoft Office: Publisher Security Feature Bypass (CVE-2023-21715) · pwn.watch

> Microsoft Office Publisher contains a security feature bypass vulnerability that allows for a local, authenticated attack on a targeted system. Added to CISA KEV on 2023-02-14.

Page: https://pwn.watch/i/microsoft-office-cve-2023-21715 · generated 2026-10-22T20:45:43.249Z

## Status
- Severity: high · status: closed · patch: patched
- Product: Microsoft Office
- Started: 2023-02-14 · closed: 2023-02-14
- CVEs: CVE-2023-21715
- Affected: See vendor advisory / CISA notes (versions not always listed in KEV feed)
- Fixed in: See vendor advisory linked in sources

## Follow this incident
- RSS (one item per update): https://pwn.watch/i/microsoft-office-cve-2023-21715/feed.xml
- JSON Feed: https://pwn.watch/i/microsoft-office-cve-2023-21715/feed.json
- Full data (timeline, sources, posts, agentBrief): https://pwn.watch/i/microsoft-office-cve-2023-21715.json
- This file: https://pwn.watch/i/microsoft-office-cve-2023-21715/llms.txt

## Updates (newest first)
- 2023-02-14: CISA added CVE-2023-21715 to the KEV catalog (due 2023-03-07).

## Fix brief
# Security brief: Microsoft Office: Publisher Security Feature Bypass (CVE-2023-21715)

Source: https://pwn.watch/i/microsoft-office-cve-2023-21715 · status: closed (closed Feb 14, 2023) · severity: high · updated Feb 14, 2023

## Patch status
**PATCHED: fixed releases exist. Upgrade to a fixed version.**

## What it is
Microsoft Office Publisher contains a security feature bypass vulnerability that allows for a local, authenticated attack on a targeted system. Added to CISA KEV on 2023-02-14.

Severity detail: CVSS 7.3 (NVD), actively exploited (CISA KEV)

- Product: Microsoft Office
- CVE / advisory ids: CVE-2023-21715

## Affected versions
- See vendor advisory / CISA notes (versions not always listed in KEV feed)

## Check whether you're affected
No generic command applies (the product is a hosted service, appliance or desktop app). Check the installed version in its admin UI / About screen and compare with the versions above.

## Fix
Upgrade to one of these fixed versions (or later on the same branch):
- See vendor advisory linked in sources

After upgrading, re-run the checks above and redeploy/restart the affected services.

## Latest updates
- Feb 14, 2023: CISA added CVE-2023-21715 to the KEV catalog (due 2023-03-07).

## Advisories
- [Vendor advisory: Microsoft Office](https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/en-US/vulnerability/CVE-2023-21715) (Microsoft)
- [NVD: CVE-2023-21715](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-21715) (NVD)
- [CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog](https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog) (CISA)

## Caveats
Derived from CISA KEV JSON feed catalogVersion 2026.10.21. Exact affected/fixed version strings are not always in the KEV record — verify against the vendor advisory URL. startedAt uses dateAdded (exploitation may have begun earlier).

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Machine-readable: https://pwn.watch/i/microsoft-office-cve-2023-21715.json · all incidents: https://pwn.watch/incidents.json. Verify against the vendor advisory before changing production systems.