---
title: "CVE-2024-38226: Microsoft Publisher Protection Mechanism Failure Vulnerability"
url: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2024-38226/
description: "CVE-2024-38226 (Microsoft Publisher): Exploited in the wild (CISA KEV). Microsoft Publisher Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability"
type: vulnerability-record
section: "Security Digest"
date_published: 2024-09-10
date_modified: 2026-08-10
publisher: erroneo.us
author: erroneo.us Security Desk
cve: "CVE-2024-38226"
kev: true
cvss: 7.3
epss: 0.02667
license: All rights reserved. Quote with attribution and a link.
---

# CVE-2024-38226: Microsoft Publisher Protection Mechanism Failure Vulnerability

**Signal:** Exploited: patch now if you run it. CISA has confirmed exploitation in the wild. (Computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS; not an editorial verdict.)

## Should you act?

- Yes, if you run Microsoft Publisher. CISA added this CVE to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2024-09-10, which means there is reliable evidence of exploitation in the wild. US federal agencies must remediate by 2024-10-01 ; treat that as the outer limit, not the target.
- EPSS 2.7% , percentile 86: FIRST’s model estimates a 2.7% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 86% of all scored CVEs (elevated). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Needs local access needed. Lower urgency for most teams unless an attacker could already run code on the machine.

## What it is

Microsoft Publisher Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability

## Affected products (CVE record)

- Microsoft Microsoft Office 2019: 19.0.0 < https://aka.ms/OfficeSecurityReleases
- Microsoft Microsoft Office LTSC 2021: 16.0.1 < https://aka.ms/OfficeSecurityReleases
- Microsoft Microsoft Publisher 2016: 16.0.0 < 16.0.5465.1001

## Severity

- microsoft CVSS 3.1: 7.3 `CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:F/RL:O/RC:C`

## Exploitation

- CISA KEV: added 2024-09-10; federal due date 2024-10-01. Known ransomware use: Unknown.
- CISA required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation active , automatable no , technical impact total .
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 2.67% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 86.

## Sources

- [Microsoft Publisher Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability](https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-38226)
- [CVE.org record CVE-2024-38226](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-38226)
- [NVD entry CVE-2024-38226](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-38226)
- [CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog entry](https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2024-38226)

---
Source page: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2024-38226/ · Security Digest: https://erroneo.us/security/ · More: https://erroneo.us/llms.txt