# CVE-2023-23397: Microsoft Office Outlook Privilege Escalation

> An attacker can exploit this vulnerability in Microsoft Outlook to elevate privileges on the target system.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:F/RL:O/RC:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Yes, since 14 Mar 2023 (CISA KEV)
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 14 Mar 2023
- **Updated:** 21 Oct 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-4778-q233-jmh5

## What is CVE-2023-23397?

CVE-2023-23397 is a critical vulnerability in Microsoft 365 Apps, published on 14 Mar 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Microsoft Outlook Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

Weakness: CWE-294 (Authentication Bypass by Capture-replay), CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-23397?

It affects 4 products.


Products: Microsoft 365 Apps, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Office Long Term Servicing Channel, Microsoft Outlook.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-23397?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-23397 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available. US federal agencies must fix it by 4 Apr 2023.

## Is CVE-2023-23397 being exploited?

Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2023-23397 in the wild since at least 14 Mar 2023.

Public exploit code:

- https://github.com/api0cradle/CVE-2023-23397-POC-Powershell (github_poc): https://github.com/api0cradle/CVE-2023-23397-POC-Powershell
- Exploit for the CVE-2023-23397 (github_poc): https://github.com/sqrtZeroKnowledge/CVE-2023-23397_EXPLOIT_0DAY
- Simple PoC of the CVE-2023-23397 vulnerability with the payload sent by email. (github_poc): https://github.com/Trackflaw/CVE-2023-23397
- Simple PoC in PowerShell for CVE-2023-23397 (github_poc): https://github.com/ka7ana/CVE-2023-23397
- Proof of Concept for CVE-2023-23397 in Python (github_poc): https://github.com/tiepologian/CVE-2023-23397
- https://github.com/Muhammad-Ali007/OutlookNTLM_CVE-2023-23397 (github_poc): https://github.com/Muhammad-Ali007/OutlookNTLM_CVE-2023-23397

## Other vulnerabilities in Microsoft 365 Apps

- [CVE-2024-21413](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-21413/): Microsoft Outlook Improper Input Validation (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-38189](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38189/): Microsoft Project Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2023-35311](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-35311/): Microsoft Outlook Security Feature Bypass (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-21514](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-21514/): Microsoft Office Word Reliance on Untrusted Inputs in a Security Decision (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-21509](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-21509/): Microsoft Office Security Feature Bypass (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-23397 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-23397 is a critical vulnerability in Microsoft 365 Apps, published on 14 Mar 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2023-23397 in the wild since at least 14 Mar 2023.

Affected product: Microsoft 365 Apps. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-23397/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-23397/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-23397
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-23397
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-23397

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-23397/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.