Threats / Microsoft / CVE-2024-38189
CVE-2024-38189
· EUVD no mirror located
· GCVE no mirror located
Verified 2026-08-04
Microsoft Project vulnerability
Microsoft Project remote code execution vulnerability via malicious file. Improper input validation (CWE-20) allows attackers to execute arbitrary code through crafted project files.
Verdict
Today item — known-exploited.
Active exploitation observed in the wild. Attackers deliver malicious Project files to execute code on target systems. Organizations using Project require immediate patching to prevent compromise.
CISA KEV Yes · 2024-08-135EPSS 0.08194 (verify live)6CVSS 8.83CISA SSVC Exploitation: active · Automatable: no · Impact: total4
01
Is it exploitable?
— the evidence, ranked above the scoreReported exploitation
6 independent public reports of in-the-wild exploitation are cataloged.Distinct reporting sources (vendor, incident response, government); open them for the underlying claims.
Exploited in the wild
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2024-08-13).
Probability (EPSS)
EPSS 0.08194 — modeled likelihood of exploitation activity.EPSS is a daily-changing model output — open the source for today's value.
Severity / affected
CVSS 8.8 (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:F/RL:O/RC:C) · Affected: Microsoft, Project. Confirm exact fixed builds in the vendor advisory.CVSS — CNA-assigned (CVE.org), version 3.1, set at disclosure.
Weakness (CWE)
Mapped to CWE-20 Improper Input Validation.CWE — CNA-assigned (CVE.org); the weakness class drives how the flaw is exploited.
CISA SSVC (triage disposition)
Exploitation: active · Automatable: no · Technical Impact: totalCISA's own stakeholder-specific triage inputs, published in the CVE record (CISA Coordinator role). NOTE: this is CISA's three decision points; the final Act/Attend/Track decision also requires a Mission & Well-being input not published here, so no overall decision is asserted.
Currency of the record
CISA added this to its KEV catalog the same day the CVE record was published.KEV lag = CISA-KEV dateAdded − CVE.org datePublished; a floor on how long the known-exploited flaw sat in the public record before the federal catalog listed it. Severity/weakness here is CNA- or CISA-assigned (current at disclosure), independent of NVD's analysis backlog.
02
Who’s exploiting it?
— attribution turns risk into urgencyAttribution not established
No confirmed (advisory-backed) threat-actor attribution is established for this record. Absence of a named actor is not absence of compromise — see Coverage & confidence.
03
Why it matters
— the attack path, told twice: adversary, then board1
Front door — unauthenticated access narrative 1
Attacker
I craft a malicious Microsoft Project file with embedded code that bypasses input validation.
Business
Attackers gain initial access to systems running Project, establishing a foothold for lateral movement or data theft.
2
Keys to the kingdom — privilege/identity takeover narrative 2
Attacker
I distribute the file via email or file-sharing platforms, targeting Project users in the organization.
Business
Employees unknowingly open the file, triggering code execution with the privileges of the Project application.
3
Lateral reach — past segmentation narrative 3
Attacker
I execute arbitrary commands on the compromised system to install backdoors or exfiltrate sensitive project data.
Business
Confidential project information, intellectual property, and internal communications become exposed to unauthorized parties.
04
What to do
— defensible action- Remediate per the vendor advisory — confirm the fixed build for your version and verify exposure.1
Say it to the boardA vulnerability with this evidence profile is a defensible budget line, not a backlog ticket — fund the change against the proof above.
05