CVE-2013-1323
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 · uneditedMicrosoft Publisher 2003 SP3 does not properly handle NULL values for unspecified data items, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted Publisher file, aka "Publisher Incorrect NULL Value Handling 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 · moderate confidenceMicrosoft Publisher 2003 SP3 contains a memory corruption vulnerability in its file parsing logic where NULL values for unspecified data items are not properly handled. When parsing a specially crafted .pub file, the application dereferences an invalid pointer, allowing an attacker to achieve arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the user opening the file.
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= 2003CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Verify Microsoft Publisher 2003 is installedOpen Programs and Features (appwiz.cpl) or check Add/Remove Programs, look for Microsoft Publisher 2003 in the installed software listAffected if Microsoft Publisher 2003 appears in the installed programs list
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Confirm the exact Publisher versionLaunch Publisher, go to Help menu, select About Microsoft Office Publisher, and note the version number displayedAffected if The version shown is Microsoft Publisher 2003 (exact version 11.x)
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Identify .pub file handling configurationCheck if .pub file association is configured in Windows - right-click any .pub file, select Properties, verify it opens with Microsoft PublisherAffected if Windows associates .pub files with Microsoft Publisher 2003, meaning the vulnerable parsing code will execute when files are opened
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Determine if the system processes external .pub filesReview whether users have the ability to open .pub files from external sources such as email attachments, downloads, or removable mediaAffected if Users can open .pub files from untrusted sources, which is required to trigger the vulnerability
The system is affected if Microsoft Publisher 2003 is installed and users can open specially crafted .pub files, as the vulnerability lies in the file parsing logic that handles NULL values in .pub files.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scopedApply Microsoft security update KB2810047 to address the improper NULL value handling, and enforce policies prohibiting users from opening untrusted or unsolicited Publisher files from external sources.
Microsoft Office 2016 or newer (including Microsoft 365 subscription)
- 1. Verify the current Microsoft Publisher version by opening Publisher, clicking 'Help', and selecting 'About Microsoft Office Publisher'
- 2. Since Microsoft Publisher 2003 reached end of support on April 8, 2014 and no longer receives security updates, upgrade to a supported version
- 3. Obtain and install a supported Microsoft Office version (Office 2016 or newer, or Microsoft 365) that includes Publisher
- 4. After upgrading, verify the new Publisher version is running
- 5. Ensure Windows Update is enabled and configured to receive security updates for the new Office installation
- 6. Train users to avoid opening untrusted Publisher files from unknown sources as an additional precaution
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,088.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2013-1323 — 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 sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2013-1323 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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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.
- 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
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