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Office PublisherApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2009-0566

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2009-07-15
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
Microsoft Office Publisher 2007 SP1 does not properly calculate object handler data for Publisher files, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted file in a legacy format that triggers memory corruption, aka "Pointer Dereference 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

This is a memory corruption vulnerability in Microsoft Office Publisher 2007 SP1 where improper calculation of object handler data for Publisher files leads to a pointer dereference issue. Attackers can exploit this by tricking users into opening specially crafted files in a legacy Publisher format, potentially allowing remote code execution.

MitigationApply the Microsoft security update for CVE-2009-0566, or upgrade from Office 2007 SP1 to a supported version. Until patched, exercise caution with untrusted Publisher files and disable file preview in Outlook.

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
Office PublisherApplication
Affected:= 2007

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. Verify Publisher 2007 is installed
    Open Control Panel > Programs and Features, look for 'Microsoft Office Publisher 2007' in the installed programs list, or run 'reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Publisher\InstallRoot"' to check for the registry key indicating Publisher installation.
    Affected if Microsoft Office Publisher 2007 appears in installed programs or the registry key exists.
  2. Check Publisher version number
    Open any existing .pub file, go to File > Help, or right-click the Publisher executable in Program Files and select Properties > Details to view the version. Alternatively, run 'msinfo32' and expand Software Environment > Running Tasks to find Publisher version.
    Affected if The version displays as 12.0.xxxx (where 12.0 indicates Office 2007/ Publisher 2007).
  3. Confirm Service Pack level
    In Publisher, go to Help > About Microsoft Office Publisher. The dialog will show the build number and whether SP1, SP2, or SP3 is installed. Or check the installed updates via Control Panel > View installed updates for 'Microsoft Office Publisher 2007 Service Pack' entries.
    Affected if The About dialog shows only the base version 12.0.6504.xxxx or explicitly lists SP1, indicating an unpatched or partially patched installation.
  4. Identify legacy .pub file handling
    Check if legacy Publisher file formats (.pub files created in older Publisher versions) are associated with Publisher 2007 by default. The vulnerability triggers when opening specially crafted legacy format files, so verify whether users commonly work with .pub files from unknown or untrusted sources.
    Affected if Publisher 2007 is configured as the default handler for .pub files and users routinely open files from external or untrusted sources.

A system is affected if Microsoft Office Publisher 2007 (version 12.0) is installed and the specific security update for CVE-2009-0566 has not been applied, leaving the memory corruption vulnerability in legacy .pub file handling unmitigated.

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 the Microsoft security update for CVE-2009-0566, or upgrade from Office 2007 SP1 to a supported version. Until patched, exercise caution with untrusted Publisher files and disable file preview in Outlook.

Recommended fix High confidence

Microsoft Office Publisher 2007 Service Pack 2

  1. Open Microsoft Update or Windows Update to check for available updates
  2. Locate security update MS09-023 in the update list
  3. Install the security update for Microsoft Office Publisher 2007
  4. Alternatively, download the specific update from the Microsoft Download Center using knowledge base article 969526
  5. Restart the computer after installing the update
  6. Verify the update was installed successfully via Control Panel > Programs and Features > View installed updates
Caveat Service Pack 2 may include feature changes; test compatibility with existing Publisher documents and templates before deploying widely

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

Fix this in Office Publisher Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,090
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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-2009-0566 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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