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OfficeApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2008-3460

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2008-08-12
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
WPGIMP32.FLT in Microsoft Office 2000 SP3, XP SP3, and 2003 SP2; Office Converter Pack; and Works 8 does not properly parse the length of a WordPerfect Graphics (WPG) file, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted WPG file, aka the "WPG Image File Heap 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

Heap corruption vulnerability in the WPGIMP32.FLT image filter for Microsoft Office. The filter fails to properly validate the length field in WordPerfect Graphics (WPG) files, allowing a malformed WPG file to trigger heap corruption and achieve arbitrary code execution.

MitigationApply Microsoft security updates for the affected Office versions or disable/remove the WPGIMP32.FLT filter if WPG file support is not required.

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= xp
Office Converter PackApplication
Affected:all versions
WorksApplication
Affected:= 8.0

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. Identify installed Microsoft Office version
    Open the application (Word, Excel, or PowerPoint), click Help, and check About to see the exact version (2000, 2003, or XP). Alternatively, check Programs and Features or Add/Remove Programs for Microsoft Office entries.
    Affected if The installed version is 2000, 2003, or XP (or if Microsoft Office Converter Pack or Microsoft Works 8.0 is installed)
  2. Check if Microsoft Office Converter Pack is installed
    Open Programs and Features or Add/Remove Programs and look for 'Microsoft Office Converter Pack' in the list of installed programs.
    Affected if Converter Pack is present (all versions are affected)
  3. Check if Microsoft Works 8.0 is installed
    Open Programs and Features or Add/Remove Programs and look for 'Microsoft Works' in the list of installed programs.
    Affected if Microsoft Works version 8.0 is installed
  4. Locate the WPGIMP32.FLT filter file
    Search the computer for the file named WPGIMP32.FLT. Common locations include the Office filter directory (typically under Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Filters or similar).
    Affected if The WPGIMP32.FLT file exists on the system and an affected Office/Converter Pack/Works version is also installed
  5. Check if WPG file handling is enabled
    In Office applications, go to Options > Save or Options > Advanced and look for file format associations. WPG files may be associated with the vulnerable filter by default in affected versions.
    Affected if WPG file types are associated with the filter and will open automatically in affected Office applications

You are affected if you have Microsoft Office 2000, 2003, or XP, Microsoft Office Converter Pack (any version), or Microsoft Works 8.0 installed AND the WPGIMP32.FLT filter file exists on your system, as the vulnerability triggers when opening malformed WPG files.

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 the affected Office versions or disable/remove the WPGIMP32.FLT filter if WPG file support is not required.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Microsoft 365, Office 2021, or Office 2019 (currently supported versions)

  1. 1. Identify all systems running the affected Microsoft Office versions (2000, XP, 2003) or Works 8, or Office Converter Pack.
  2. 2. Inventory all WPGIMP32.FLT files on these systems to confirm presence of the vulnerable filter.
  3. 3. Backup all critical data and documents before making changes.
  4. 4. Uninstall legacy Microsoft Office versions (2000, XP, 2003) and Works 8 from affected systems.
  5. 5. Install a currently supported Microsoft Office version (Microsoft 365, Office 2021, or Office 2019) which includes updated file filters and security patches.
  6. 6. Verify that the new Office installation does not include the vulnerable WPGIMP32.FLT filter or uses an updated version.
  7. 7. Test that legitimate document workflows function correctly with the new Office installation.
  8. 8. Implement application whitelisting or disable the WPG filter via Group Policy if WPG file support is not required in the organization.
Caveat Legacy Office file formats and macros from Office 2000/XP/2003 may require conversion; some legacy features or plugins may be incompatible with modern Office versions

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

Fix this in Office Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,500
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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-2008-3460 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