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ExcelApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2010-1247

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2010-06-08
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
Unspecified vulnerability in Microsoft Office Excel 2002 SP3 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via an Excel file with a malformed RTD (0x813) record that triggers heap corruption, aka "Excel Memory Corruption Vulnerability," a different vulnerability than CVE-2010-0823 and CVE-2010-1249.

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

Memory corruption vulnerability in Microsoft Office Excel 2002 SP3 triggered by specially crafted Excel files containing malformed RTD (record type 0x813) records. The malformed record causes heap corruption, enabling remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via user-assisted attack vector (user must open malicious file).

MitigationApply Microsoft security update MS10-038 which addresses this vulnerability in Excel 2002. Until patched, enforce strict policy against opening Excel files from untrusted sources and consider using Office file isolation/macro blocking features.

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
ExcelApplication
Affected:= 2002

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 Excel version
    Open Excel, click Help > About Microsoft Excel, or run: winword /? and excel /? from command prompt, or check Programs and Features for Microsoft Office version
    Affected if Version shows Microsoft Excel 2002 (version 10.x)
  2. Confirm service pack level
    In Excel, check Help > About Microsoft Excel for 'Service Pack 3' notation, or check Office Update site, or view installed updates for Office XP Service Pack 3
    Affected if Excel 2002 SP3 is installed (this is the specific affected version)
  3. Verify RTD record parsing component exists
    Check that Excel can handle spreadsheet files containing RTD (RealTimeData) functions - these are used for pulling data from real-time data servers into worksheets
    Affected if Excel has RTD function support enabled (RTD records are part of normal Excel file format)
  4. Assess file handling policy
    Review whether Excel is configured to open .xls and .xlsx files from local and network locations without strict validation
    Affected if Excel is permitted to open files from untrusted sources without Office file isolation or macro blocking policies in place

Environment is affected if Microsoft Excel 2002 SP3 is installed and can open .xls files containing malformed RTD (record type 0x813) records, as the heap corruption vulnerability exists in the RTD record parser for this specific version.

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 update MS10-038 which addresses this vulnerability in Excel 2002. Until patched, enforce strict policy against opening Excel files from untrusted sources and consider using Office file isolation/macro blocking features.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Upgrade to Microsoft Office 2003 or later supported version (e.g., Office 2007, 2010, or Microsoft 365)

  1. Check if Microsoft Office Excel 2002 SP3 is still receiving security updates from Microsoft (note: Office 2002 reached end of support in July 2007 for mainstream support and July 2012 for extended support)
  2. If still on Office 2002, check Microsoft Security Response Center for available patches for CVE-2010-1247
  3. If no patches available for Office 2002, upgrade to a supported Microsoft Office version (Office 2003, 2007, 2010, or newer)
  4. Apply all available Windows and Office security updates after upgrading
  5. Ensure antivirus/anti-malware software is current and scan the system for any potential compromise
Caveat Office 2002 is end-of-life; upgrading may require file format migration and users may need to learn new interface; consider compatibility settings or conversion tools for legacy Excel files

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

Fix this in Excel Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
5.0 hours of engineering $890
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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-2010-1247 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
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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