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

> An attacker can exploit a race condition in Windows Search to execute arbitrary code on affected Windows systems.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:F/RL:O/RC:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Yes, since 17 Jul 2023 (CISA KEV), used in ransomware
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 11 Jul 2023
- **Updated:** 10 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-gwrc-vqcf-v9v4

## What is CVE-2023-36884?

CVE-2023-36884 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 10 1507, published on 11 Jul 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Windows Search Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Weakness: CWE-362 (Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-36884?

It affects 12 products.


Products: Microsoft Windows 10 1507, Microsoft Windows 10 1607, Microsoft Windows 10 1809, Microsoft Windows 10 21h2, Microsoft Windows 10 22h2, Microsoft Windows 11 21h2, Microsoft Windows 11 22h2, Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Microsoft Windows Server 2012, Microsoft Windows Server 2016, Microsoft Windows Server 2019, Microsoft Windows Server 2022.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-36884?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-36884 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available. US federal agencies must fix it by 29 Aug 2023.

## Is CVE-2023-36884 being exploited?

Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2023-36884 in the wild since at least 17 Jul 2023, including in ransomware campaigns.

Public exploit code:

- MS Office and Windows HTML RCE (CVE-2023-36884) - PoC and exploit (github_poc): https://github.com/jakabakos/CVE-2023-36884-MS-Office-HTML-RCE
- The remediation script should set the reg entries described in https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2023-36884 . The detection script checks if they exist. Provided AS-IS without any warrenty. (github_poc): https://github.com/Maxwitat/CVE-2023-36884-Scripts-for-Intune-Remediation-SCCM-Compliance-Baseline
- Script to check for CVE-2023-36884 hardening (github_poc): https://github.com/tarraschk/CVE-2023-36884-Checker
- This is an emergency solution while Microsoft addresses the vulnerability. (github_poc): https://github.com/zerosorai/CVE-2023-36884
- https://github.com/ridsoliveira/Fix-CVE-2023-36884 (github_poc): https://github.com/ridsoliveira/Fix-CVE-2023-36884
- Recent Campaign abusing CVE-2023-36884 (github_poc): https://github.com/deepinstinct/Storm0978-RomCom-Campaign

## Other vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows 10 1507

- [CVE-2017-8543](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-8543/): Microsoft Windows Search Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-33053](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-33053/): Microsoft Windows External Control of File Name or Path (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-33073](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-33073/): Microsoft Windows SMB Client Improper Access Control (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-49039](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-49039/): Microsoft Windows Task Scheduler Privilege Escalation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-43461](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-43461/): Microsoft Windows MSHTML Platform Spoofing (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-36884 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-36884 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 10 1507, published on 11 Jul 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2023-36884 in the wild since at least 17 Jul 2023, including in ransomware campaigns.

Affected product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507. 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-2023-36884/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-36884/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-36884
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-36884
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-36884

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-36884/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.