dbcve.org
OfficeApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2010-0031

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2010-02-10
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
Array index error in Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2002 SP3 and 2003 SP3, and PowerPoint in Office 2004 for Mac, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted PowerPoint document, aka "PowerPoint OEPlaceholderAtom 'placementId' Invalid Array Indexing 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

A vulnerability in Microsoft PowerPoint exists due to improper array indexing in the OEPlaceholderAtom handling of the 'placementId' field. Opening a specially crafted PowerPoint file allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via memory corruption. This affects PowerPoint 2002 SP3, 2003 SP3, and Office 2004 for Mac.

MitigationApply Microsoft security patches for this vulnerability (MS10-004) to all affected PowerPoint installations. Until patched, avoid opening PowerPoint files from untrusted sources and disable the PowerPoint file handler in enterprise environments if possible.

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
PowerpointApplication
Affected:= 2002= 2003

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 PowerPoint installation
    Open PowerPoint and go to Help > About Microsoft Office PowerPoint, or check Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel for Microsoft Office/PowerPoint entries
    Affected if PowerPoint is installed and the version shows 2002, 2003, or 2004 (or Mac Office 2004)
  2. Confirm exact PowerPoint version number
    In PowerPoint, go to Help > About and note the full version string (e.g., PowerPoint 2002 SP3, PowerPoint 2003 SP3). On Windows, also check the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Version\PowerPoint\InstallRoot for the version
    Affected if Version is PowerPoint 2002 (any SP), PowerPoint 2003 SP3, or Office 2004 for Mac
  3. Verify PowerPoint file handler is active
    Attempt to open any .ppt or .pptx file in PowerPoint, or check file association settings in Windows to confirm PowerPoint is registered as the handler for PowerPoint files
    Affected if PowerPoint can open files and is the default handler for .ppt/.pptx files
  4. Check for malicious PowerPoint files
    Review any recently opened or received PowerPoint files in user directories (Downloads, Documents, email attachments) for unknown or suspicious origins
    Affected if Untrusted PowerPoint files have been opened using the vulnerable PowerPoint installation

A user is affected if PowerPoint 2002, 2003 SP3, or Office 2004 for Mac is installed AND the PowerPoint file handler is active to open .ppt/.pptx files, particularly if untrusted PowerPoint files have been opened.

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 patches for this vulnerability (MS10-004) to all affected PowerPoint installations. Until patched, avoid opening PowerPoint files from untrusted sources and disable the PowerPoint file handler in enterprise environments if possible.

Recommended fix High confidence

Microsoft 365, Office 2019, or Office 2016 (any currently supported Office version)

  1. 1. Back up all important PowerPoint documents and files
  2. 2. Uninstall Microsoft Office 2004, 2002, or 2003 which are end-of-life and no longer supported
  3. 3. Install a currently supported version of Microsoft Office (Microsoft 365, Office 2019, or Office 2016)
  4. 4. Ensure Windows Update or Microsoft Update is enabled and configured for automatic security updates
  5. 5. After migration, verify that all existing PowerPoint files open correctly in the new Office version
Caveat Older Office file formats (.ppt, .pot) from Office 2003 and earlier may require compatibility mode or conversion; some legacy features or macros may need updating

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

Fix this in Office Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
26.0 hours of engineering $4,720
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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2010-0031 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