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Digital Image SuiteApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2008-3012

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2008-09-11
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
gdiplus.dll in GDI+ in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 SP1, Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Server 2003 SP1 and SP2, Vista Gold and SP1, Server 2008, Office XP SP3, Office 2003 SP2 and SP3, 2007 Microsoft Office System Gold and SP1, Visio 2002 SP2, PowerPoint Viewer 2003, Works 8, Digital Image Suite 2006, SQL Server 2000 Reporting Services SP2, SQL Server 2005 SP2, Report Viewer 2005 SP1 and 2008, and Forefront Client Security 1.0 does not properly perform memory allocation, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a malformed EMF image file, aka "GDI+ EMF Memory Corruption Vulnerability."

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

GDI+ (gdiplus.dll) contains a memory corruption vulnerability when processing malformed EMF (Enhanced Metafile) image files. The vulnerability results from improper memory allocation during EMF image parsing, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code via specially crafted EMF files delivered through web pages, email attachments, or file sharing.

MitigationApply Microsoft security updates (MS08-052) to all affected products including Windows, Office, Visio, and SQL Server components. Disable GDI+ parsing for untrusted content at the perimeter as an interim 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
Digital Image SuiteApplication
Affected:= 2006
Forefront Client SecurityApplication
Affected:= 1.0
Internet ExplorerApplication
Affected:= 6
OfficeApplication
Affected:= 2003= xp
Office Powerpoint ViewerApplication
Affected:= 2003
Report ViewerApplication
Affected:= 2005= 2008
ServerApplication
Affected:= 2008
Sql ServerApplication
Affected:= 2005

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 installed Microsoft products
    Open Control Panel > Programs and Features, or run 'appwiz.cpl', and look for Digital Image Suite 2006, Forefront Client Security 1.0, Internet Explorer 6, Office 2003/XP, Powerpoint Viewer 2003, Report Viewer 2005/2008, SQL Server 2005, or Windows Server 2008
    Affected if Any of these affected products and versions are installed and the gdiplus.dll version is unpatched
  2. Check gdiplus.dll version
    Locate gdiplus.dll (typically in C:\Windows\System32\ or C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\VBA\VBA6\) right-click > Properties > Details tab, or use 'dir gdiplus.dll /s' from command prompt to find all instances, then compare version numbers to the fixed version from MS08-052
    Affected if The gdiplus.dll version is lower than the patched version or the file is missing security updates
  3. Verify EMF file handling is active
    Check if applications can process EMF files by opening any EMF image in installed software, or check file association settings for .emf files in Registry under HKCR\.emf
    Affected if EMF file parsing is enabled and the software processes EMF images without additional validation
  4. Inspect web content processing settings
    For Internet Explorer, check Tools > Internet Options > Security > Custom Level for 'Binary and script behaviors' and 'Script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting'. For email clients, check attachment handling settings for image files.
    Affected if GDI+ is used to render EMF files from untrusted sources (web pages, email attachments) without additional validation layers
  5. Check for presence of malformed EMF test files
    Search user download folders, email attachments, and network shares for .emf files using 'dir /s /b C:\Users\*.emf' or similar, particularly files from untrusted sources
    Affected if Users regularly receive or open EMF files from untrusted or unknown sources without perimeter filtering

Your environment is affected if you have any of the listed Microsoft products installed with unpatched gdiplus.dll versions AND users process EMF files from potentially 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 updates (MS08-052) to all affected products including Windows, Office, Visio, and SQL Server components. Disable GDI+ parsing for untrusted content at the perimeter as an interim control.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Upgrade to currently supported versions of Microsoft products. For Office, migrate to Office 2007 Service Pack 2 or Office 2010+. For SQL Server, upgrade to SQL Server 2008 or later. For Windows, migrate from Windows XP to a supported Windows version.

  1. Apply Microsoft Security Bulletin MS08-052 (GDI+ EMF Memory Corruption Vulnerability) which addresses this CVE
  2. For Internet Explorer 6: Ensure GDI+ receives the security update through Windows Update or manual download of MS08-052
  3. For Office products (Office XP SP3, Office 2003 SP2/SP3, 2007 Office System SP1): Install the MS08-052 update via Microsoft Update or the specific Office update
  4. For SQL Server 2005: Apply SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 3 which includes the GDI+ fix, or apply the MS08-052 update
  5. For Report Viewer 2005/2008: Apply the MS08-052 update or upgrade to a patched version
  6. For Forefront Client Security 1.0: Apply the relevant MS08-052 update component
  7. For Digital Image Suite 2006: Apply the MS08-052 update or discontinue use of the vulnerable version
  8. Verify successful patching by checking Windows Update history or confirming gdiplus.dll version includes the security fix
Caveat Many affected products (Internet Explorer 6, Office XP, Office 2003, Windows XP) are end-of-life and no longer receive security updates. Upgrading may require data migration, compatibility testing, and potential feature changes.

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

Fix this in Digital Image Suite Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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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-2008-3012 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