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HIGH · CVSS 8.8 CISA Known Exploited Vulnerability

CVE-2012-1856

Microsoft Office MSCOMCTL.OCX Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Microsoft Office

The TabStrip ActiveX control in the Common Controls in MSCOMCTL.OCX in Microsoft Office 2003 SP3, Office 2003 Web Components SP3, Office 2007 SP2 and SP3, Office 2010 SP1, SQL Server 2000 SP4, SQL Server 2005 SP4, SQL Server 2008 SP2, SP3, R2, R2 SP1, and R2 SP2, Commerce Server 2002 SP4, Commerce Server 2007 SP2, Commerce Server 2009 Gold and R2, Host Integration Server 2004 SP1, Visual FoxPro 8.0 SP1, Visual FoxPro 9.0 SP2, and Visual Basic 6.0 Runtime allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted (1) document or (2) web page that triggers system-state corruption, aka "MSCOMCTL.OCX RCE Vulnerability."

CVSS
8.8
HIGH
EPSS
72%
30-day exploitation
Ransomware groups
0
recorded exploiting
Published
15 Aug 2012
NVD

Exploitation status

CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities

Listed by CISA on 3 March 2022. US federal agencies were required to remediate it by 24 March 2022.

EPSS — exploitation probability

FIRST puts the probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days at 72%, which is higher than 99.4% 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:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Frequently asked questions

Is CVE-2012-1856 being exploited by ransomware groups?

No ransomware group in this database is currently recorded as exploiting CVE-2012-1856.

What does CVE-2012-1856 affect?

CVE-2012-1856 affects Microsoft Office. The TabStrip ActiveX control in the Common Controls in MSCOMCTL.OCX in Microsoft Office 2003 SP3, Office 2003 Web Components SP3, Office 2007 SP2 and SP3, Office 2010 SP1, SQL Server 2000 SP4, SQL Server 2005 SP4, SQL Server 2008 SP2, SP3, R2, R2 SP1, and R2 SP2, Commerce Server 2002 SP4, Commerce Server 2007 SP2, Commerce Server 2009 Gold and R2, Host Integration Server 2004 SP1, Visual FoxPro 8.0 SP1, Visual FoxPro 9.0 SP2, and Visual Basic 6.0 Runtime allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted (1) document or (2) web page that triggers system-state corruption, aka "MSCOMCTL.OCX RCE Vulnerability."

How severe is CVE-2012-1856?

CVE-2012-1856 is rated HIGH with a CVSS base score of 8.8. EPSS puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 72%, higher than 99.4% of all scored vulnerabilities. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, with a federal remediation deadline of 24 March 2022.

How should organisations respond to CVE-2012-1856?

Apply the vendor patch for Microsoft Office 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.