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Visio ViewerApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2012-0136

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2012-02-14
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
Microsoft Visio Viewer 2010 Gold and SP1 does not properly handle memory during the parsing of files, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted attributes in a Visio file, aka "VSD File Format Memory Corruption Vulnerability," a different vulnerability than CVE-2012-0019, CVE-2012-0020, CVE-2012-0137, and CVE-2012-0138.

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 Visio Viewer 2010 (Gold and SP1) when parsing VSD files. The application fails to properly handle memory allocation when processing crafted attributes within Visio files, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code through malicious VSD files.

MitigationApply Microsoft security updates for Visio Viewer 2010; avoid opening Visio files from untrusted sources; deploy endpoint protection to detect malicious file parsing.

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
Visio ViewerApplication
Affected:= 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. Verify Visio Viewer 2010 installation
    Open Control Panel > Programs and Features, or run 'Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* | Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion' via PowerShell to list installed Microsoft programs
    Affected if Microsoft Visio Viewer 2010 appears in the installed programs list
  2. Confirm exact version number
    Check the version property of the installed Visio Viewer. In Programs and Features, look for version 2010. In PowerShell, query the registry key under HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall for the Visio Viewer entry and examine the DisplayVersion value
    Affected if Version displays as 2010 (any sub-version, including Gold and SP1)
  3. Verify VSD file type handler is registered
    Check registry keys under HKCR\.vsd or HKCR\VisioViewer.VSDDocument\shell\open\command to confirm the Visio Viewer application is registered as the handler for .vsd files
    Affected if VSD file association exists and points to Visio Viewer 2010 executable
  4. Confirm executable path exists
    Locate the Visio Viewer executable (typically in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14 or similar path) and verify the file exists on disk
    Affected if The Visio Viewer 2010 executable is present and can be invoked

System is affected if Visio Viewer 2010 (Gold or SP1) is installed with VSD file handling enabled, as the memory corruption flaw triggers when parsing malicious VSD files.

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 Visio Viewer 2010; avoid opening Visio files from untrusted sources; deploy endpoint protection to detect malicious file parsing.

Recommended fix High confidence

Microsoft Office/Visio 2013 or later; or Microsoft 365 with current Visio subscription

  1. Check if the system still runs Visio Viewer 2010 by opening a Visio file (.vsd, .vdx, .vdw) in Internet Explorer or a web browser
  2. Open Windows Update (Start > All Programs > Windows Update) or visit https://catalog.update.microsoft.com
  3. Search for Microsoft Security Update MS12-014 (or KB2597171)
  4. Install the security update for Visio Viewer 2010
  5. Restart the computer if prompted
  6. Verify the update was installed by checking Installed Updates in Control Panel > Programs and Features > View installed updates
  7. Alternatively, upgrade Microsoft Office/Visio to a supported version (2013, 2016, 2019, or Microsoft 365) which includes the fixed Visio Viewer component
Caveat Old Visio Viewer 2010 may have limited compatibility with newer Visio file formats; ensure the target environment supports the chosen Office/Visio version before full deployment

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

Fix this in Visio Viewer Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,750
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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-2012-0136 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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