dbcve.org
OfficeApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2007-2224

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2007-08-14
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
Object linking and embedding (OLE) Automation, as used in Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4, XP SP2, Server 2003 SP1 and SP2, Office 2004 for Mac, and Visual Basic 6.0 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via the substringData method on a TextNode object, which causes an integer overflow that leads to a buffer overflow.

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 · high confidence

Vulnerability in OLE Automation's substringData method on TextNode objects causes an integer overflow that leads to a buffer overflow, allowing remote attackers to execute arbitrary code. The flaw affects multiple Windows versions (2000 SP4, XP SP2, Server 2003 SP1/SP2), Office 2004 for Mac, and Visual Basic 6.0.

MitigationApply Microsoft security updates for this vulnerability (MS07-044) or deploy subsequent cumulative patches that address the OLE Automation integer overflow. Prioritize systems running affected Windows versions and Visual Basic 6.0 runtime environments.

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:= 2004
Visual BasicApplication
Affected:= 6.0

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. Check for Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac installation
    On macOS systems, open the Applications folder and look for Microsoft Office 2004, or check System Preferences > Applications for Office 2004 applications (Word 2004, Excel 2004, PowerPoint 2004). Verify the exact version by right-clicking the application and selecting 'Get Info'.
    Affected if Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac is installed on the system
  2. Check for Visual Basic 6.0 runtime installation
    On Windows systems, open Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs (or Programs and Features). Look for 'Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0' or 'Visual Basic 6.0 Runtime' in the installed programs list. Alternatively, check the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualBasic\6.0 for installation evidence.
    Affected if Visual Basic 6.0 or its runtime components are installed on the system
  3. Confirm OLE Automation is accessible to the affected applications
    The vulnerability exists in the OLE Automation component (oleaut32.dll) when called through the substringData method on TextNode objects. This is a system-level component used by scripting and automation features in the affected products. No specific configuration toggle exists; the vulnerability is in the code itself.
    Affected if The OLE Automation subsystem (oleaut32.dll) is present on the system and the affected applications (Office 2004 or VB6) have access to it

If either Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac or Visual Basic 6.0 runtime is installed on the system, the environment is potentially affected by this OLE Automation integer overflow vulnerability.

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 updates for this vulnerability (MS07-044) or deploy subsequent cumulative patches that address the OLE Automation integer overflow. Prioritize systems running affected Windows versions and Visual Basic 6.0 runtime environments.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Migrate to supported software: Office 2008 for Mac or later/Microsoft 365 for Mac; migrate VB6 applications to VB.NET or supported .NET versions

  1. 1. Identify all systems running the affected versions: Office 2004 for Mac or Visual Basic 6.0.
  2. 2. For Windows systems: Check for and apply the relevant Microsoft security update. MS07-043 addressed this vulnerability for Windows components.
  3. 3. For Office 2004 for Mac: Apply the Apple security update for Office 2004 that addresses this OLE Automation vulnerability (CVE-2007-2224).
  4. 4. After patching, verify the vulnerability is remediated using vulnerability scanners or by checking for the presence of the security update.
  5. 5. Consider migrating to supported versions of Office (Office 2008 for Mac or later, or Microsoft 365) and VB.NET as VB6 and Office 2004 are end-of-life.
Caveat Upgrading from VB6 to .NET may require code rewrites; Office file format changes may require compatibility testing

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

Fix this in Office Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,750
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2007-2224 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2007-2224 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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