CVE-2012-1854
Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications Insecure Library Loading Vulnerability
Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)
Untrusted search path vulnerability in VBE6.dll in Microsoft Office 2003 SP3, 2007 SP2 and SP3, and 2010 Gold and SP1; Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA); and Summit Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications SDK allows local users to gain privileges via a Trojan horse DLL in the current working directory, as demonstrated by a directory that contains a .docx file, aka "Visual Basic for Applications Insecure Library Loading Vulnerability," as exploited in the wild in July 2012.
Exploitation status
CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities
Listed by CISA on 13 April 2026. US federal agencies were required to remediate it by 27 April 2026.
EPSS — exploitation probability
FIRST puts the probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days at 20.9%, which is higher than 97.6% of all scored vulnerabilities. EPSS is a forecast of activity, not a measure of severity, and it is rescored daily.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Frequently asked questions
Is CVE-2012-1854 being exploited by ransomware groups?
No ransomware group in this database is currently recorded as exploiting CVE-2012-1854.
What does CVE-2012-1854 affect?
CVE-2012-1854 affects Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). Untrusted search path vulnerability in VBE6.dll in Microsoft Office 2003 SP3, 2007 SP2 and SP3, and 2010 Gold and SP1; Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA); and Summit Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications SDK allows local users to gain privileges via a Trojan horse DLL in the current working directory, as demonstrated by a directory that contains a .docx file, aka "Visual Basic for Applications Insecure Library Loading Vulnerability," as exploited in the wild in July 2012.
How severe is CVE-2012-1854?
CVE-2012-1854 is rated HIGH with a CVSS base score of 7.8. EPSS puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 20.9%, higher than 97.6% of all scored vulnerabilities. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, with a federal remediation deadline of 27 April 2026.
How should organisations respond to CVE-2012-1854?
Apply the vendor patch for Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) as the first priority, and treat any internet-facing instance as the most urgent. Because this vulnerability is associated with ransomware activity, also review whether the affected systems were reachable before patching, rather than assuming that patching alone closes the incident.