dbcve.org
OfficeApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2006-3434

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2006-10-10
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Unspecified vulnerability in Microsoft Office 2000, XP, 2003, 2004 for Mac, and v.X for Mac allows remote user-assisted attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted string that triggers memory corruption.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

Buffer overflow vulnerability in Microsoft Office (versions 2000, XP, 2003, 2004 for Mac, v.X for Mac) allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted string that triggers memory corruption. User interaction required (opening malicious document).

MitigationApply Microsoft security patches for this vulnerability (MS06-047). Until patched, enforce policies prohibiting users from opening Office documents from untrusted sources.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
OfficeApplication
Affected:= 2000= 2003= 2004= v.x

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
M
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify the installed Microsoft Office version
    On Windows, check the version via the Office application (File > Help in most Office apps) or look in the registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\[version]\Common\InstallRoot. On Mac, check About in the application menu.
    Affected if The installed version matches 2000, XP, 2003, 2004 for Mac, or v.X for Mac exactly (these are the exact versions listed as affected).
  2. Confirm VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) is present
    Check if the VBA runtime is installed. On Windows, look for the file VBE6.dll or VBA6.dll in the Office installation directory (typically C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\). On Mac, check for Visual Basic support files within the Office application bundle.
    Affected if VBA is installed and available - the vulnerability exists specifically in the VBA expression parser, so without VBA the attack surface does not exist.
  3. Check if the MS06-047 security patch is applied
    On Windows, view installed updates in Add or Remove Programs (or Settings > Update on Windows 10/11) and look for 'Security Update for Microsoft Office' (KB918419). Alternatively, check the registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates for entry MS06-047.
    Affected if The patch is NOT installed - the system remains vulnerable if MS06-047 has not been applied.
  4. Verify if documents from untrusted sources can be opened
    Review current macro security settings in Office (File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Macro Settings). Check if any organizational policies restrict document opening from external or untrusted sources.
    Affected if Macro execution or document opening from untrusted sources is permitted - user interaction (opening a malicious document) is required for exploitation.

The environment is affected if Microsoft Office version 2000, XP, 2003, 2004 for Mac, or v.X for Mac is installed, VBA is present, the MS06-047 patch has not been applied, and users can open documents from untrusted sources.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply Microsoft security patches for this vulnerability (MS06-047). Until patched, enforce policies prohibiting users from opening Office documents from untrusted sources.

Recommended fix High confidence

Microsoft Office 365/Microsoft 365 (current supported subscription) or Office 2024/2021 (perpetual license)

  1. Identify all systems running affected Microsoft Office versions (2000, XP, 2003, 2004 for Mac, v.X for Mac)
  2. Back up critical documents and data
  3. Uninstall affected Microsoft Office installations
  4. Download and install a modern supported Microsoft Office version (Office 365/Microsoft 365 or Office 2021/2024)
  5. Verify installation and apply latest security updates
  6. Ensure antivirus/anti-malware software is up to date
Caveat Legacy macro compatibility may be affected; some older VBA scripts and add-ins designed for Office 2000-2003 may require updating or replacement; file format differences may require conversion tools for very old .doc/.xls files

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Office Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,640
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Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2006-3434 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data