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PublisherApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2010-3955

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
pubconv.dll (aka the Publisher Converter DLL) in Microsoft Publisher 2002 SP3 does not properly perform array indexing, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted Publisher file that uses an old file format, aka "Array Indexing Memory Corruption 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

Memory corruption vulnerability in pubconv.dll (Publisher Converter) in Microsoft Publisher 2002 SP3 allows remote code execution via crafted Publisher files using old file formats. Improper array indexing leads to arbitrary code execution when victim opens malicious file.

MitigationApply Microsoft security update for Publisher 2002 SP3. Until patched, block or warn on old Publisher file formats (.pub older versions) and enforce strict policy against opening untrusted Publisher attachments.

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

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 Publisher version
    Open Microsoft Publisher, then go to Help > About Microsoft Office Publisher to view the exact version number. Alternatively, check the program files for Publisher (typically C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\) and locate the Publisher executable to verify version.
    Affected if The installed version is Microsoft Publisher 2002 (build 10.0.xxxx)
  2. Confirm Publisher 2002 Service Pack level
    In Publisher, go to Help > Check for Updates or view the installed updates via Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs (or Programs and Features) to confirm whether Service Pack 3 is installed.
    Affected if Publisher 2002 SP3 is installed (the vulnerability exists in this specific service pack)
  3. Locate and verify pubconv.dll version
    Search for pubconv.dll on the system (typically found in the Publisher installation directory or C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Publisher). Right-click the file, select Properties, and check the Version tab for file details.
    Affected if pubconv.dll version corresponds to Publisher 2002 SP3 and the file exists on the system
  4. Test handling of old Publisher file formats
    Attempt to open a legacy .pub file from an older Publisher version (pre-2002 format) using the installed Publisher 2002 application. Observe whether the Publisher Converter (pubconv.dll) is invoked to process the file.
    Affected if Old .pub file formats can be opened and converted by Publisher 2002, indicating the vulnerable converter is active

The environment is affected if Microsoft Publisher 2002 SP3 is installed and the Publisher Converter (pubconv.dll) handles legacy .pub file formats, allowing the improper array indexing vulnerability to trigger upon opening a crafted file.

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 for Publisher 2002 SP3. Until patched, block or warn on old Publisher file formats (.pub older versions) and enforce strict policy against opening untrusted Publisher attachments.

Recommended fix High confidence

Microsoft Publisher 2002 with Security Update MS10-104 (KB2290860)

  1. Verify that Microsoft Publisher 2002 Service Pack 3 is installed (open Publisher, go to Help > About Microsoft Office Publisher).
  2. Ensure Office XP Service Pack 3 is installed on the system; if not, download and install it from Microsoft Update.
  3. Download and install the security update for Microsoft Publisher 2002 (Microsoft Security Bulletin MS10-104, KB2290860) from the Microsoft Update catalog or Microsoft Download Center.
  4. Restart the computer after the update completes.
  5. Confirm the patch is installed by viewing the update history in Windows Update or checking the installed programs list for the KB2290860 update.
Caveat The patch requires Office XP Service Pack 3; ensure this prerequisite is met before applying the update.

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

Fix this in Publisher 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-2010-3955 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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