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CVE-2019-1297

From Exploited flaws, HARD’s guide to the flaws being used in attacks · Checked
This article is about a flaw in Microsoft Excel. For every flaw being used in attacks, see Exploited flaws; for Microsoft’s, see Microsoft flaws being used in attacks.

CVE-2019-1297 is a security flaw in Microsoft Excel, part of Microsoft Office. Attackers can run their own code on Microsoft Excel. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 3 Mar 2022.[1]

Microsoft Excel is in things households have, such as phones, computers, browsers and everyday apps, so the fix matters at home as much as at work. Microsoft has published a fix or advice.

Description

CISA calls it a remote code execution in Microsoft Excel. In its words: “A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory.”[1]

The CVE record adds: “A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory, aka 'Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability'.”[2]

It scores 8.8 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it high, scored by NVD using CVSS 3.1.[2]

Affected versions

NVD’s record doesn’t list version ranges for it; Microsoft’s advisory has them[3]. CISA names the product as Microsoft Excel.

Every device with Microsoft Excel needs the update.

Exploitation

CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 3 Mar 2022, 904 days after it was made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 17 Mar 2022 to fix it.[1]

FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at 22%. That’s in the top 3% of the flaws it scores.[4]

CISA assesses it as not automatable: each attack takes some work.

CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.

Fix

Microsoft has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s required action: “Apply updates per vendor instructions.”[1]

  1. Update Microsoft Excel now.On Windows: Settings, Windows Update, Check for updates, then restart. Office updates come the same way, or from any Office app: File, Account, Update Options. Then turn on automatic updates, so the next fix arrives on its own.
  2. If there’s no update, stop using it.CISA’s advice when a flaw being used in attacks has no fix is to stop using the product until it does.

Timeline

DateEvent
The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 8.8.[2]
CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks.[1]
CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1]
FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at 22%.[4]

See also

Other Microsoft Excel flaws

Other Microsoft flaws

  • CVE-2026-96951, Microsoft Windows: command injection ·
  • CVE-2026-65660, Microsoft SharePoint: code injection ·
  • CVE-2026-85880, Microsoft Windows: heap-based buffer overflow ·
  • CVE-2026-81963, Microsoft Windows: link following ·
  • CVE-2019-1068, Microsoft SQL Server: remote code execution ·

Similar flaws

  • CVE-2026-111357, Ivanti Connect Secure: missing authentication for critical function ·
  • CVE-2026-97229, GitLab Community Edition and Enterprise Edition: integer overflow or wraparound ·
  • CVE-2026-76418, Cisco Secure Firewall ASA Software and Cisco Secure FTD Software: unchecked return value to NULL pointer dereference ·
  • CVE-2026-48356, Adobe Commerce and Magento: unrestricted upload of file with dangerous type ·
  • CVE-2026-111497, Google Brotli: unchecked return value ·

Added the same day

  • CVE-2022-20708, Cisco Small Business RV160, RV260, RV340, and RV345 Series Routers: small business RV series routers stack-based buffer overflow ·
  • CVE-2022-20703, Cisco Small Business RV160, RV260, RV340, and RV345 Series Routers: small business RV series routers stack-based buffer overflow ·
  • CVE-2022-20701, Cisco Small Business RV160, RV260, RV340, and RV345 Series Routers: small business RV series routers stack-based buffer overflow ·
  • CVE-2022-20700, Cisco Small Business RV160, RV260, RV340, and RV345 Series Routers: small business RV series routers stack-based buffer overflow ·
  • CVE-2022-20699, Cisco Small Business RV160, RV260, RV340, and RV345 Series Routers: small business RV series routers stack-based buffer overflow ·

Every Microsoft flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in March 2022

References

  1. ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 3 Mar 2022.
  2. ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2019-1297 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 11 Sep 2019.
  3. ^ Microsoft. Advisories and fixes: portal.msrc.microsoft.com.
  4. ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.218, percentile 97.6, 31 Oct 2026.
  5. CVE Program. “CVE-2019-1297”. The official CVE record.

This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.