dbcve.org
OfficeApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2010-0243

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
Buffer overflow in MSO.DLL in Microsoft Office XP SP3 and Office 2004 for Mac allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted Office document, aka "MSO.DLL Buffer Overflow."

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 MSO.DLL (Microsoft Office shared library) allows attackers to execute arbitrary code by enticing users to open specially crafted Office documents. The vulnerability affects Office XP SP3 and Office 2004 for Mac, and exploitation can lead to complete system compromise.

MitigationApply Microsoft Security Bulletin MS10-003 (KB978214) to patch the MSO.DLL vulnerability. Until patched, instruct users not to open untrusted Office documents and consider disabling macro execution in Office applications.

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= xp

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
    On Windows, open Control Panel > Programs and Features, or run 'winword /?' from command line to see version. On Mac, check Applications folder for Microsoft Office 2004.
    Affected if The installed version is Office XP (any Service Pack) or Office 2004 for Mac (any version)
  2. Locate and identify MSO.DLL version
    Navigate to the Office installation directory (typically C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\ for Office XP or /Applications/Microsoft Office 2004/ on Mac) and locate MSO.DLL. Right-click > Properties > Details to view file version.
    Affected if MSO.DLL is present and its version cannot be verified as patched (see step 3)
  3. Check if security update MS10-003 (KB978214) is installed
    On Windows, open Control Panel > Programs and Features > View installed updates and search for 'KB978214', or run 'wmic qfe list' to list installed hotfixes. On Mac, manually verify the DLL version against known patched versions from the bulletin.
    Affected if KB978214 is NOT listed among installed updates, indicating the vulnerability remains unpatched
  4. Verify macro execution settings
    Open any Office application (Word/Excel/PowerPoint), go to Trust Center Settings (Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings) and check Macro Settings. The vulnerability can be triggered even without macros, but checking settings helps assess overall exposure.
    Affected if Macro settings allow execution from external sources, though this is not required for exploitation

If Microsoft Office XP or Office 2004 for Mac is installed and security update KB978214 (MS10-003) has not been applied, the system is vulnerable to CVE-2010-0243 through specially crafted Office documents.

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 Bulletin MS10-003 (KB978214) to patch the MSO.DLL vulnerability. Until patched, instruct users not to open untrusted Office documents and consider disabling macro execution in Office applications.

Recommended fix High confidence

Microsoft 365 Apps, Office 2019, or Office 2016 (or later supported versions)

  1. Upgrade from Office XP SP3 or Office 2004 for Mac to a currently supported Microsoft Office version (such as Microsoft 365 Apps, Office 2019, or Office 2016)
  2. If immediate upgrade is not possible, apply the historical security update MS10-002 from January 2010: For Office XP, apply security update KB975558; For Office 2004 for Mac, apply security update MS10-002
  3. After applying the update, verify the MSO.DLL version reflects the patched build number
  4. Ensure the system has all subsequent security updates applied
  5. Consider migrating to Microsoft 365 or a modern Office version as these legacy products are no longer supported
Caveat Legacy features or macros in old Office documents may behave differently in newer versions; ensure compatibility testing for critical business documents

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
  • 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-2010-0243 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
  • 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
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