# CVE-2026-68793: Microsoft Excel out-of-bounds read in parsing

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-68793-microsoft-excel-out-of-bounds-read-in-parsing  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-08-11. Updated: 2026-09-25  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-68793 · Severity: high · CVSS 7.8 · Published 2026-08-11

Microsoft Excel is a widely-used spreadsheet application relied upon by organizations worldwide for data analysis and reporting. An out-of-bounds read vulnerability in Excel's parsing logic could allow an attacker to execute code locally on a victim's computer if they open a malicious spreadsheet file, potentially leading to data theft, system compromise, or lateral movement within a corporate network.

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

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-68793 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-68793 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-68793?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.8, published 11 August 2026.

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

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-68793?** 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-2026-68793 attacked?** It is attacked with local access.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-68793?** Check whether you run Microsoft Excel. 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

The vulnerability is an out-of-bounds read flaw in Microsoft Excel's file parsing mechanism, likely triggered when processing a specially crafted spreadsheet. The vulnerability requires local code execution and user interaction (opening a malicious file), and is not remotely exploitable over the network. An attacker can achieve arbitrary code execution in the context of the user running Excel. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.8 (high severity), though it has not been observed exploited in the wild as of the advisory publication date.

## Affected products

- Microsoft Excel

## Timeline

- 2026-08-11: disclosed

## References

- [https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-68793](https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-68793)

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