CVE-2000-0088 in Word
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the conversion utilities for Japanese, Korean and Chinese Word 5 documents allows an attacker to execute commands, aka the "Malformed Conversion Data" vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/20/2026
The CVE-2000-0088 vulnerability represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within Microsoft Word's conversion utilities designed for processing Japanese, Korean, and Chinese Word 5 documents. This vulnerability specifically targets the handling of malformed data during document conversion processes, creating a pathway for arbitrary code execution on affected systems. The flaw exists in the way Word processes legacy document formats when converting them to newer formats, particularly affecting Asian language character sets that require complex encoding schemes. The vulnerability was particularly dangerous because it could be triggered through seemingly benign document operations, making it an ideal candidate for social engineering attacks where users might unknowingly execute malicious code simply by opening or converting documents.
The technical implementation of this buffer overflow occurs when the conversion utility processes malformed data structures within the Word 5 document format. Specifically, the vulnerability arises from insufficient bounds checking during the parsing of character encoding sequences and document metadata. When processing Asian language documents, Word employs complex multi-byte character handling that requires precise memory management. The flaw manifests when the conversion process encounters data that exceeds allocated buffer sizes, causing stack corruption that can be exploited to overwrite return addresses and execute malicious code. This type of vulnerability maps directly to CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflows. The vulnerability can be classified under the ATT&CK technique T1203, which involves exploitation of software vulnerabilities for privilege escalation and code execution.
The operational impact of CVE-2000-0088 extends beyond simple remote code execution, as it represents a significant threat to enterprise security environments where document processing is common. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability through various attack vectors including email attachments, web downloads, or file sharing systems where users might encounter converted documents. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of Microsoft Word including Word 97, Word 2000, and Word 95, making it particularly widespread across corporate networks. Organizations with document conversion workflows, especially those handling international business documents, faced severe risks as this vulnerability could be exploited to gain full system control without requiring user interaction beyond document opening. The attack surface was further expanded due to the common practice of document conversion in business environments, where automated systems might process documents from external sources without proper security validation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2000-0088 required immediate patching through Microsoft security updates, as the vulnerability was not exploitable through any user interaction except document opening. Organizations needed to implement comprehensive patch management processes to ensure all affected Word installations received the necessary security updates. Additionally, network administrators should have deployed content filtering solutions to block suspicious document attachments and implemented strict document conversion policies that validated all incoming documents. The vulnerability highlighted the importance of input validation and secure coding practices, particularly in legacy code handling international character sets. Security teams needed to monitor for exploitation attempts through network traffic analysis and implement intrusion detection systems capable of identifying buffer overflow patterns. Organizations should have also considered isolating document conversion processes in sandboxed environments to limit potential damage from successful exploitation attempts. The incident underscored the critical need for regular security assessments of document processing systems and the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches across all software platforms.