CVE-2023-36884: Microsoft Windows Search Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

CVE-2023-36884 · Severity: critical · CVSS 7.5 · Exploited in the wild · Published 2023-07-17

Microsoft Windows Search contains a remote code execution vulnerability involving a race condition (CWE-362). An attacker can exploit this by bypassing Mark of the Web (MOTW) defenses using specially crafted files, requiring user interaction to succeed.

Technologies: Microsoft Windows. Vendors: Microsoft.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2023-36884 exploited in the wild?
Yes. CVE-2023-36884 is known to be exploited in the wild, first recorded on 17 July 2023. Treat it as urgent.
How severe is CVE-2023-36884?
Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 7.5, published 17 July 2023.
Which products and versions are affected?
Microsoft Windows 10 1507, 1607, 1809, 21H2, 22H2; Microsoft Windows 11 21H2, 22H2; Microsoft Windows Server 2008, 2008 R2, 2012, 2012 R2, 2016, 2019, 2022.
Is there a fix for CVE-2023-36884?
No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.
How is CVE-2023-36884 attacked?
It is attacked over the network, in an operating system.
Am I affected by CVE-2023-36884?
Check whether you run Microsoft Windows. 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 Windows 10 1507, 1607, 1809, 21H2, 22H2
  • Microsoft Windows 11 21H2, 22H2
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2008, 2008 R2, 2012, 2012 R2, 2016, 2019, 2022

Timeline

  • 2023-07-17: disclosed
  • 2023-07-17: kev added: Added to CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog
  • 2023-07-17: exploited: Reported as exploited in the wild at time of publication

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