dbcve.org
PublisherApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2013-1318

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2013-05-15
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 Publisher 2003 SP3 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted Publisher file that triggers access to an invalid pointer, aka "Publisher Corrupt Interface Pointer 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 Publisher 2003 SP3 contains a vulnerability where a specially crafted .pub file causes access to an invalid pointer, leading to arbitrary code execution. An attacker can exploit this by convincing a user to open a malicious Publisher file, potentially allowing complete system compromise.

MitigationApply Microsoft Security Bulletin MS13-042 patch for Publisher 2003, or upgrade to a supported version of Microsoft Office/Publisher. Implement application whitelisting and train users to avoid opening untrusted file 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:= 2003

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
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:L/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 if Microsoft Publisher 2003 is installed
    Open Control Panel > Programs and Features, or run 'wmic product get name,version' in Command Prompt. Look for 'Microsoft Office Publisher 2003' or 'Microsoft Publisher 2003' in the installed programs list.
    Affected if Publisher 2003 appears in the installed programs list
  2. Verify the exact Publisher version number
    Launch Publisher 2003, then go to Help > About Microsoft Office Publisher. Note the version displayed (typically 11.0.xxxx series).
    Affected if The version shown is the 2003 release (11.0.xxxx series)
  3. Confirm the security update is not applied
    Check for installed Windows updates. Run 'wmic qfe list' or view Windows Update history. Look for KB2817480, which is the MS13-042 patch for Publisher 2003.
    Affected if KB2817480 is not installed or not listed in Windows Update history

The environment is affected if Microsoft Publisher 2003 is present and the MS13-042 security update (KB2817480) has not been applied.

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 Bulletin MS13-042 patch for Publisher 2003, or upgrade to a supported version of Microsoft Office/Publisher. Implement application whitelisting and train users to avoid opening untrusted file attachments.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Upgrade to a supported version of Microsoft Office such as Microsoft Office 2016 or Microsoft 365 Apps, as Office 2003 reached end of support in April 2014 and no longer receives security updates.

  1. 1. Verify the current Microsoft Publisher version by opening Publisher, clicking 'Help', and selecting 'About Microsoft Office Publisher'.
  2. 2. Download and install Microsoft Office Service Pack 3 if not already installed, as this is the baseline required for the security update.
  3. 3. Obtain the specific security update for CVE-2013-1318 from the Microsoft Download Center or through Windows Update. The update was released as part of Microsoft Security Bulletin MS13-051.
  4. 4. Apply the security update KB2817550 (for Office 2003) which addresses this vulnerability.
  5. 5. After installation, restart the computer and verify the update was applied successfully via Windows Update history.
  6. 6. If the system cannot receive updates due to end of support, proceed with the upgrade path.
Caveat Office 2003 file formats may have compatibility issues with newer Office versions; some legacy features and VBA macros may require review or modification.

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

Fix this in Publisher Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,560.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2013-1318 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2013-1318 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