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

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2023-36884-microsoft-windows-search-remote-code-execution-vulnerability  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2023-07-17. Updated: 2026-05-10  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

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](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/windows). Vendors: [Microsoft](https://junglewise.ai/threats/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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