dbcve.org
PublisherApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2010-2570

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2010-12-16
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
Heap-based buffer overflow in pubconv.dll (aka the Publisher Converter DLL) in Microsoft Publisher 2002 SP3, 2003 SP3, 2007 SP2, and 2010 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted Publisher file that uses an old file format, aka "Heap Overrun in pubconv.dll 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-based buffer overflow vulnerability in pubconv.dll (Publisher Converter DLL) allows remote code execution when Microsoft Publisher opens a crafted file using an old file format. The overflow occurs in heap memory, potentially allowing attackers to inject and execute arbitrary code.

MitigationApply Microsoft security updates for affected Publisher versions (2002 SP3, 2003 SP3, 2007 SP2, 2010). Until patched, avoid opening Publisher files from untrusted sources.

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
PublisherApplication
Affected:= 2002= 2003= 2007= 2010

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. Check if Microsoft Publisher is installed
    Open Registry Editor and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Version\ClickToRun\Config, or check for Publisher.exe in Program Files (e.g., C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14\Publisher.exe)
    Affected if Microsoft Publisher is not found on the system
  2. Determine installed Publisher version
    Right-click Publisher.exe, select Properties, then check the Details tab for File Version; or run 'winver' command and cross-reference with Office version
    Affected if Version is 2002, 2003, 2007, or 2010 (matches affected ranges)
  3. Verify pubconv.dll exists and locate it
    Search for pubconv.dll in the Publisher installation folder (typically C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\OfficeX\ or within the Office folder)
    Affected if pubconv.dll is present and corresponds to an affected Publisher version
  4. Confirm security update MS10-023 is not installed
    Open Control Panel > Programs and Features > View installed updates, or run 'wmic qfe list' command, and search for update KB981164 (the patch for this CVE)
    Affected if The security update KB981164 is NOT installed on the system

The system is affected if Microsoft Publisher versions 2002, 2003, 2007, or 2010 are installed AND the MS10-023 security update (KB981164) is missing.

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 affected Publisher versions (2002 SP3, 2003 SP3, 2007 SP2, 2010). Until patched, avoid opening Publisher files from untrusted sources.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to a newer version of Microsoft Office/Publisher beyond 2010 (such as Office 2013, 2016, or Microsoft 365 subscriptions which include updated Publisher versions)

  1. Apply Microsoft Security Bulletin MS10-023 patch for your specific Publisher version: KB979664 for Publisher 2002, KB980440 for Publisher 2003, KB980441 for Publisher 2007 SP2, KB980442 for Publisher 2010
  2. Obtain the patch from Microsoft Update or the Microsoft Security Bulletin MS10-023 page on docs.microsoft.com
  3. Restart the computer after applying the update
Caveat Patches are cumulative; ensure compatibility testing with existing Publisher templates and files before deployment in production environments

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

Fix this in Publisher Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA8.0 h
44.0 hours of engineering $7,720
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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-2010-2570 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