# CVE-2026-45486: Microsoft Office Word untrusted pointer dereference

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-45486-microsoft-office-word-untrusted-pointer-dereference  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-06-09. Updated: 2026-06-09  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-45486 · Severity: high · CVSS 7.8 · Published 2026-06-09

A security vulnerability exists in Microsoft Word, the widely used word processing application. An attacker could exploit this flaw to run unauthorized code on a user's computer, potentially leading to a full system takeover or theft of sensitive documents. To be successful, the attack typically requires a user to open a specially crafted malicious file.

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

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-45486 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-45486 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-45486?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.8, published 9 June 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Microsoft Word.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-45486?** 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-2026-45486 attacked?** It is attacked with local access, in a network appliance.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-45486?** Check whether you run Microsoft Word. 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.

## Technical details

A vulnerability classified as an untrusted pointer dereference (and associated with CWE-416 Use After Free) exists in Microsoft Office Word. The flaw allows for local code execution when a victim interacts with a malicious document. The attack vector is local with a low complexity, requiring no special privileges but necessitating user interaction (UI:R). Successful exploitation grants the attacker high impact across confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Microsoft has released information regarding this vulnerability in their security update guide.

## Affected products

- Microsoft Word

## Timeline

- 2026-06-09: disclosed
- 2026-06-09: advisory

## References

- [https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-45486](https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-45486)

## Related threats

- [Microsoft Word use-after-free remote code execution](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-112735-use-after-free-in-microsoft-office-word-allows-an-unauthorized)
- [Microsoft Word heap-based buffer overflow](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-112724-heap-based-buffer-overflow-in-microsoft-office-word-allows-an)
- [Microsoft Word heap-based buffer overflow](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-112716-heap-based-buffer-overflow-in-microsoft-office-word-allows-an)
- [Microsoft Word heap-based buffer overflow](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-111306-heap-based-buffer-overflow-in-microsoft-office-word-allows-an)
- [Microsoft Office Word heap-based buffer overflow](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-110056-heap-based-buffer-overflow-in-microsoft-office-word-allows-an)