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OfficeApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2012-0183

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2012-05-09
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 Word 2003 SP3 and 2007 SP2 and SP3, Office 2008 and 2011 for Mac, and Office Compatibility Pack SP2 and SP3 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via crafted RTF data, aka "RTF Mismatch 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 RTF parsing within Microsoft Word 2003/2007 and Office for Mac allows remote code execution via crafted RTF data. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of RTF file structures, enabling attackers to inject malicious code through specially crafted files.

MitigationDeploy Microsoft security updates (MS12-027 or subsequent relevant patches) to all affected Office installations. Implement email/file screening to block untrusted RTF attachments until patching is complete.

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
OfficeApplication
Affected:= 2008
Office Compatibility PackApplication
Affected:all versions
WordApplication
Affected:= 2003= 2007

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 installed Microsoft Word version
    Open Word, go to File > Help > About Microsoft Office Word, or check registry at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\{version}\Word\InstallRoot. Compare the version number to affected versions 2003 and 2007.
    Affected if Word version is 2003 or 2007 (exact version numbers not provided, but these major versions are listed as affected)
  2. Check installed Microsoft Office version
    Open any Office application, go to File > Help, or check registry at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\ClickToRun\Configuration. Identify the Office suite version.
    Affected if Office suite version is 2008 or earlier (listed as affected)
  3. Check for Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack
    Open Control Panel > Programs and Features, look for 'Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint File Formats' in the installed programs list.
    Affected if Compatibility Pack is installed (all versions are affected per the CVE data)
  4. Verify RTF file handling is enabled in Word
    Open Word > File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > File Block Settings. Confirm RTF files are not blocked or disabled.
    Affected if RTF file handling is enabled (this is the default and required condition for the vulnerability to be exploitable)
  5. Check for installed security update MS12-027
    Open Control Panel > Programs and Features > View installed updates. Search for update 'MS12-027' or security bulletin related to this CVE.
    Affected if The MS12-027 security update is NOT installed (indicating the system is unpatched and vulnerable)

A system is affected if it runs Microsoft Word 2003, Word 2007, Office 2008 or earlier, or the Office Compatibility Pack, and lacks the MS12-027 security update, with RTF file handling enabled (default state).

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

Deploy Microsoft security updates (MS12-027 or subsequent relevant patches) to all affected Office installations. Implement email/file screening to block untrusted RTF attachments until patching is complete.

Recommended fix High confidence

Microsoft Office 2010 or later (supports extended security updates); or at minimum, apply MS12-030 security update to current version

  1. Upgrade Microsoft Office to a version that received the MS12-030 security update or later.
  2. For Microsoft Office 2003, apply Service Pack 3 and then install the MS12-030 security update (KB2598332).
  3. For Microsoft Office 2007, apply Service Pack 2 or Service Pack 3 and then install the MS12-030 security update (KB2598332).
  4. For Office 2008 for Mac, upgrade to Office 2008 for Mac SP4 or later.
  5. For Office 2011 for Mac, upgrade to the latest available version with security fixes.
  6. For Office Compatibility Pack, apply Service Pack 2 or Service Pack 3 and install MS12-030 security update.
  7. Verify the update was successful via Windows Update or the Office Update site.
Caveat Upgrading Office versions may introduce feature changes; ensure compatibility with existing workflows and dependent applications

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

Fix this in Office 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-2012-0183 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