dbcve.org
WordApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2008-1092

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2008-03-25
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
Buffer overflow in msjet40.dll before 4.0.9505.0 in Microsoft Jet Database Engine allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted Word file, as exploited in the wild in March 2008. NOTE: as of 20080513, Microsoft has stated that this is the same issue as CVE-2007-6026.

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

Buffer overflow vulnerability in Microsoft Jet Database Engine (msjet40.dll) prior to version 4.0.9505.0 allows remote code execution through malicious Word files. The vulnerability was actively exploited in the wild in March 2008 and is linked to CVE-2007-6026.

MitigationApply Microsoft security updates to upgrade msjet40.dll to version 4.0.9505.0 or later; restrict opening of untrusted Word documents from unknown sources as a compensating control.

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
WordApplication
Affected:= 2000= 2002= 2003= 2003_sp3= 2007= 2007_sp1

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. Locate the msjet40.dll file on the system
    Search for msjet40.dll in typical locations: C:\Windows\System32\msjet40.dll or C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\DAO\msjet40.dll. Use command: dir /s C:\msjet40.dll
    Affected if The file exists on the system
  2. Determine the version of msjet40.dll
    Right-click msjet40.dll, select Properties, and view the File Version. Alternatively, use PowerShell: (Get-Item 'Path\to\msjet40.dll').VersionInfo.FileVersion
    Affected if The version is below 4.0.9505.0 or the version field is empty/unreadable
  3. Identify the installed Microsoft Word version
    Open Word and go to File > Help to see the version and service pack. Or check Add/Remove Programs for Microsoft Office installation details
    Affected if Word 2000, 2002, 2003 (without Service Pack 3), 2007, or 2007 (without Service Pack 1) is installed
  4. Verify if security update KB950627 is present
    Check Windows Update history for update KB950627, or run: Get-HotFix -Id KB950627 in PowerShell (run as Administrator)
    Affected if The update KB950627 is not listed as installed

The environment is affected if msjet40.dll version is below 4.0.9505.0 AND an affected Word version (2000, 2002, 2003, 2003_sp3, 2007, or 2007_sp1) is installed without the KB950627 security update applied.

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 to upgrade msjet40.dll to version 4.0.9505.0 or later; restrict opening of untrusted Word documents from unknown sources as a compensating control.

Recommended fix High confidence

Microsoft Jet Database Engine version 4.0.9505.0 or later; apply Microsoft Security Bulletin MS08-028 patch

  1. Check the installed version of msjet40.dll (typically in C:\Windows\System32\ or C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\)
  2. Identify the specific Microsoft security update needed: This vulnerability was addressed in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS08-028 (Microsoft Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability)
  3. Apply the appropriate patch for your Windows/Office version from Microsoft Update or the Microsoft Download Center
  4. Verify the msjet40.dll version is 4.0.9505.0 or later after patching
  5. Restart affected services or reboot the system if required
Caveat This is a legacy 2008 vulnerability - ensure patch compatibility with legacy Windows and Office versions; some older systems may require the update to be installed manually

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

Fix this in Word Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
40.0 hours of engineering $7,000
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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-2008-1092 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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