Outlook Vulnerability Allows Remote Execution of Arbitrary Code by Attackers

Microsoft confirmed a critical security vulnerability (CVE-2025-47176) in Microsoft Office Outlook, enabling attackers to execute arbitrary code.

Despite the “Remote Code Execution” title, the attack vector is local, requiring attackers to run code from a user’s own machine.

However, the potential impact remains high for organizations, as successful exploitation can compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data.

Technical Analysis of the Vulnerability

The CVE title refers to the outcome—executing arbitrary code—while the attack vector is local.

The vulnerability stems from a file handling issue within Outlook, typically triggered by special characters or path sequences like “‘…/…//’” in file or attachment names.

When Outlook parses these, an attacker with low privileges and local access can manipulate the process to execute arbitrary code.

Once an attacker gains low-privilege access to a workstation (e.g., via phishing), they can prepare a malicious file or use ...