# CVE-2023-23397: Microsoft Office Outlook Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2023-23397-microsoft-office-outlook-privilege-escalation-vulnerability  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2023-03-14. Updated: 2026-05-10  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2023-23397 · Severity: critical · CVSS 9.8 · Exploited in the wild · Published 2023-03-14

Microsoft Outlook contains an elevation of privilege vulnerability that allows for NTLM relay attacks. An attacker can trigger the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted email that causes the client to automatically connect to an attacker-controlled SMB share, leaking NTLM credentials without user interaction.

Technologies: [Microsoft Office](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/office). Vendors: [Microsoft](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/microsoft).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2023-23397 exploited in the wild?** Yes. CVE-2023-23397 is known to be exploited in the wild, first recorded on 14 March 2023. Treat it as urgent.

**How severe is CVE-2023-23397?** Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 9.8, published 14 March 2023.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Microsoft Outlook 2013 Service Pack 1; Microsoft Outlook 2016; Microsoft Office 2019; Microsoft Office LTSC 2021; and 1 more.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2023-23397?** A patch was published on 2023-03-14. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2023-23397 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a network appliance.

**Am I affected by CVE-2023-23397?** Check whether you run Microsoft Office. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Affected products

- Microsoft Outlook 2013 Service Pack 1
- Microsoft Outlook 2016
- Microsoft Office 2019
- Microsoft Office LTSC 2021
- Microsoft Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise

## Timeline

- 2023-03-14: disclosed
- 2023-03-14: patched
- 2023-03-14: kev added: Added to CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog
- 2023-03-14: exploited: Reported as exploited in the wild at time of publication.

## Related threats

- [Microsoft Office Outlook user warning spoofing vulnerability](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-124194-microsoft-office-outlook-missing-user-interaction-for)
- [Microsoft Office heap-based buffer overflow](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-122198-heap-based-buffer-overflow-in-microsoft-office-allows-an)
- [Microsoft Office heap-based buffer overflow](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-120003-heap-based-buffer-overflow-in-microsoft-office-allows-an)
- [Microsoft Office UI security feature bypass](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-119998-product-ui-does-not-warn-user-of-unsafe-actions-in-microsoft)
- [Microsoft Office heap-based buffer overflow](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-116717-heap-based-buffer-overflow-in-microsoft-office-allows-an)