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cvss av l
About this tag
The CVSS AV:L tag on WindowsForum.com covers discussions about the apparent contradiction between Microsoft labeling vulnerabilities as Remote Code Execution (RCE) while their CVSS attack vector is Local (AV:L). The recurring theme is that Microsoft uses "remote" to describe the attacker's position, while CVSS uses "local" to describe where the vulnerable code executes—on the victim's machine. This distinction is critical for Windows administrators and defenders because it affects risk assessment and patch prioritization. Threads analyze specific CVEs such as CVE-2026-45643, CVE-2026-45456, and others, explaining that AV:L does not mean low risk or require physical access; instead, it indicates that exploitation occurs through local processing of attacker-supplied content like Office documents.
Microsoft describes CVE-2026-45643 as a Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution vulnerability even though its CVSS attack vector is local because “remote” identifies the attacker’s position, while “local” identifies where the malicious code must run to trigger exploitation. The apparent...
Microsoft labels CVE-2026-45456 as remote code execution because the attacker can be remote from the victim, while the CVSS attack vector is Local because exploitation ultimately occurs through code or content processed on the victim’s own machine, including Outlook’s use of Word rendering. That...
Microsoft labels CVE-2026-44824 as a Microsoft Office remote code execution vulnerability because the attacker can be remote, even though the vulnerable Office code is ultimately triggered on the victim’s local machine after a file or content path is opened, previewed, or otherwise processed...
Microsoft classifies CVE-2026-45486 as a Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution vulnerability even though its CVSS attack vector is Local because the exploit code runs on the victim’s machine after a malicious document or content path reaches the user, while the attacker may be remote from that...
Microsoft classifies CVE-2026-45471 as a Microsoft Word remote code execution vulnerability even though its CVSS attack vector is local, because “remote” describes where the attacker may be sitting, while AV:L describes where the vulnerable code must actually be triggered: on the victim’s...
CVE-2026-45475 is titled a Microsoft Office Remote Code Execution vulnerability because the attacker can be remote from the victim, while the CVSS attack vector is Local because the vulnerable code is executed on the victim’s own machine through Office processing local content. The apparent...
Microsoft’s CVE-2026-45469 describes a Microsoft Excel remote code execution vulnerability in which the CVSS attack vector is local because exploitation requires code to run on the target machine, typically after a user opens or executes attacker-supplied content. The apparent contradiction is...
Microsoft’s title and the CVSS vector are describing two different things, so they are not actually in conflict.
The “Remote Code Execution” label in the CVE title is about the impact and the attacker’s ability to reach the victim indirectly: an attacker can send a malicious Word document or...
Yes — the apparent mismatch comes from Microsoft using two different layers of description.
The CVSS field AV:L is describing the attack vector in scoring terms: the exploit has to be triggered through a local file-processing path on the victim machine, usually by opening or otherwise handling a...
Microsoft’s advisory for CVE-2026-26113, labeled as a “Microsoft Office Remote Code Execution Vulnerability,” has sparked confusion across security teams because the published CVSS vector lists the Attack Vector as Local (AV:L) — a seeming contradiction that deserves a careful, technical...
Microsoft’s advisory that lists CVE-2026-20948 as a “Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability” is not mistaken when a published CVSS vector shows Attack Vector = Local (AV:L); the two labels answer different operational questions and together give a fuller picture of exploit impact and...
Microsoft’s CVE listing for CVE-2026-20948 names the issue as a Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability in Microsoft Word, but its published CVSS vector lists the Attack Vector as AV:L (Local) — a mismatch that confuses many administrators and risk managers. The two labels are not...
Microsoft’s CVE-2026-20956 for Microsoft Excel is titled a “Remote Code Execution” vulnerability while its published CVSS vector lists the Attack Vector as Local (AV:L)—a pairing that looks contradictory at first glance but is intentional: the CVE title communicates the attacker’s origin and...
Title: Why CVE-2026-20955 is Called “Remote Code Execution” Even Though CVSS Says AV:L (Local)
Executive summary — short answer
The phrasing “Remote Code Execution” in the CVE title describes the origin of the attack (an attacker who is remote from the victim can deliver the exploit), not...
Note: quick TL;DR up front — yes, the CVE title uses the phrase “Remote Code Execution” to describe the attacker’s location (the attacker can be remote). The CVSS Attack Vector = Local (AV:L) is not contradictory: it describes how the vulnerable code is actually triggered (by local processing on...
Microsoft’s advisory for CVE-2026-20953 is labeled a Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability while the published CVSS base vector reports the Attack Vector as AV:L (Local) — a phrasing mismatch that has caused confusion among administrators, security teams, and risk managers. The apparent...
Microsoft’s January Patch Tuesday included CVE-2026-20944, a Microsoft Word vulnerability described in vendor advisories as a Remote Code Execution (RCE) but scored in CVSS with an Attack Vector of Local (AV:L) — a seeming contradiction that has confused admins and security teams. The short...
The headline — “Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE‑2025‑62560)” — is technically accurate in describing the attacker’s capability, but the published CVSS vector (AV:L) is also correct: it describes the moment and location the vulnerable code executes. These are two...
Microsoft’s advisory for CVE-2025-62556 labels the issue as a Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution vulnerability, yet the published CVSS vector shows an Attack Vector of Local (AV:L) — a seemingly contradictory pairing that, on closer inspection, reflects two different ways of answering two...
The short answer is: the CVE headline and the CVSS Attack Vector are answering two different operational questions — the CVE title tells you what an attacker can achieve and from where they can try, while the CVSS AV metric describes where the vulnerable code actually executes when the bug is...