Xml Core ServicesApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2013-0007

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2013-01-09
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 XML Core Services (aka MSXML) 4.0, 5.0, and 6.0 does not properly parse XML content, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted web page, aka "MSXML XSLT 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

Microsoft XML Core Services (MSXML) versions 4.0, 5.0, and 6.0 contain a memory corruption vulnerability in their XML and XSLT parsing logic. By tricking a user into visiting a specially crafted web page, attackers can trigger improper parsing that leads to arbitrary code execution with the victim's privileges.

MitigationApply the relevant Microsoft security update (MS13-002) to patch the vulnerable MSXML versions, or disable active scripting in Internet Explorer as a temporary workaround.

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
Xml Core ServicesApplication
Affected:= 3.0= 4.0= 6.0= 5.0
Windows 7Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows 8Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows Server 2003Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows Server 2008Operating system
Affected:all versions= r2
Windows Server 2012Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows VistaOperating system
Affected:all versions
Windows XpOperating system
Affected:all versions

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 MSXML versions
    Check the Windows registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSXML for installed MSXML versions (look for keys like MSXML3, MSXML4, MSXML5, MSXML6), or search for msxml3.dll, msxml4.dll, msxml5.dll, msxml6.dll files in system directories and check their file versions
    Affected if Any MSXML version 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, or 6.0 is installed on a supported Windows version (XP, Vista, 7, 8, Server 2003, 2008, 2008 R2, 2012)
  2. Confirm the specific MSXML version number
    Open the file properties of the found msxml*.dll file to verify the exact version (for example, msxml6.dll version 6.20.XXXX.0 or similar)
    Affected if The installed MSXML version matches 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, or 6.0 specifically
  3. Check if Internet Explorer active scripting is enabled
    In Internet Explorer, go to Internet Options > Security > Custom Level > Script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting, or check the registry value under HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones
    Affected if Active scripting is enabled in Internet Explorer, allowing web pages to execute script that could trigger the vulnerable MSXML parsing code
  4. Identify applications using MSXML
    Review installed software that may leverage MSXML for XML processing, such as Microsoft Office components, Internet Explorer, or third-party applications that depend on MSXML libraries
    Affected if Any application on the system uses the vulnerable MSXML library for XML or XSLT parsing

A system is affected if it has MSXML version 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, or 6.0 installed on a vulnerable Windows version and the MSXML component can be invoked through web-based content or applications that process untrusted XML/XSLT input.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the relevant Microsoft security update (MS13-002) to patch the vulnerable MSXML versions, or disable active scripting in Internet Explorer as a temporary workaround.

Fix this in Xml Core Services Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,080
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,328.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2013-0007 — 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 sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2013-0007 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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