CVE-2010-2571
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 · uneditedArray index error in pubconv.dll (aka the Publisher Converter DLL) in Microsoft Publisher 2002 SP3 and 2003 SP3 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted Publisher 97 file, aka "Memory Corruption Due To Invalid Index Into Array 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 confidenceA memory corruption vulnerability exists in pubconv.dll (Publisher Converter DLL) in Microsoft Publisher 2002 SP3 and 2003 SP3. The vulnerability is caused by an array index error when parsing specially crafted Publisher 97 files, allowing remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via the malformed file.
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= 2002= 2003CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check if Microsoft Publisher is installedReview installed applications in Control Panel > Programs and Features, or query the Windows Registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Publisher for version informationAffected if Microsoft Publisher 2002 or Microsoft Publisher 2003 is present on the system
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Verify the exact Publisher version numberOpen Microsoft Publisher and go to Help > About Microsoft Office Publisher to display the exact version and service pack level, or right-click on the Publisher executable and view Properties > DetailsAffected if The version displays as Publisher 2002 (version 10.x) or Publisher 2003 (version 11.x) with Service Pack 3 applied
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Locate the pubconv.dll fileSearch for pubconv.dll in the Microsoft Office installation directory, typically found under C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\ for Publisher 2002 or Office11\ for Publisher 2003Affected if The pubconv.dll file exists in the Publisher installation directory and corresponds to the vulnerable version range
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Confirm file parsing exposureDetermine if the system has the Publisher Converter component enabled by checking if .pub files can be opened or previewed, or by verifying converter service functionality in the Office installationAffected if The Publisher Converter component (pubconv.dll) is present and functional for processing Publisher 97 files
The environment is affected if Microsoft Publisher 2002 SP3 or Publisher 2003 SP3 is installed with the pubconv.dll converter component present and capable of parsing Publisher 97 files.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scopedApply Microsoft security updates for this vulnerability or upgrade to a newer version of Microsoft Publisher that is no longer affected. Organizations should also consider disabling the Publisher Converter or implementing file type restrictions at the email gateway to block unsolicited Publisher attachments.
Microsoft Publisher 2007 or later (Publisher 2010/2013/2016/2019/365)
- 1. Verify the installed Microsoft Publisher version by opening Publisher, clicking Help, and selecting About Microsoft Office Publisher
- 2. If running Microsoft Publisher 2002 SP3 or 2003 SP3, the system is vulnerable to CVE-2010-2571
- 3. Obtain a supported version of Microsoft Publisher (Publisher 2007 or later) through your Microsoft volume licensing center or purchase a license
- 4. Uninstall Microsoft Publisher 2002 or 2003 from the system via Control Panel > Programs and Features
- 5. Install the newer version of Microsoft Publisher
- 6. Apply all available Microsoft security updates after installation via Windows Update
- 7. Test that existing Publisher files open correctly in the new version
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2010-2571 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2010-2571 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- 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