CVE-2021-40444

CVE-2021-40444 is a critical remote code execution vulnerability in MSHTML, affecting Microsoft Windows, that can be exploited via specially crafted Microsoft Office documents. An attacker could leverage a malicious ActiveX control within an Office document to execute arbitrary code when a user opens it. This vulnerability carries a high CVSS score of 8.8, indicating a severe impact with a low attack complexity, requiring user interaction to trigger. It is actively exploited in the wild, including by ransomware campaigns, and has attracted significant community and media attention, with public exploit modules available.