CVE-2000-0419 in Office
Summary
by MITRE
The Office 2000 UA ActiveX Control is marked as "safe for scripting," which allows remote attackers to conduct unauthorized activities via the "Show Me" function in Office Help, aka the "Office 2000 UA Control" vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/21/2026
The CVE-2000-0419 vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in Microsoft Office 2000 that exploits the improper marking of ActiveX controls as "safe for scripting." This designation allows malicious actors to bypass security restrictions that normally prevent untrusted code from executing within the Office environment. The vulnerability specifically targets the Office 2000 UA ActiveX Control, which was incorrectly configured to permit scripting operations that should have been restricted. This misconfiguration creates a dangerous attack vector where remote adversaries can leverage the control's elevated privileges to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable systems.
The technical exploitation occurs through the "Show Me" function within Office Help, which serves as an entry point for malicious ActiveX control activation. When users interact with help content that triggers this function, the vulnerable ActiveX control can execute without proper security checks. This flaw aligns with CWE-431 and CWE-749, which address improper handling of trusted code and dangerous methods in software components. The vulnerability demonstrates how ActiveX controls can be manipulated when they are incorrectly marked with security permissions that exceed their legitimate functionality. The "safe for scripting" attribute essentially grants the control the ability to perform operations that typically require higher privilege levels, creating a pathway for unauthorized system access and potential code execution.
The operational impact of CVE-2000-0419 extends beyond simple remote code execution to encompass broader system compromise capabilities. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to install malware, modify system configurations, or gain unauthorized access to sensitive data within the compromised environment. The vulnerability's remote exploitation nature means that attackers do not require physical access to target systems, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Office 2000 may be widely deployed. The attack surface is further expanded by the fact that the vulnerability can be triggered through web-based help content, making it accessible through standard internet browsing activities.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching and configuration hardening. Microsoft released security updates to address this issue, but organizations should also implement ActiveX control restrictions through group policies and browser security settings. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by disabling unnecessary ActiveX controls and implementing strict security zones for web content. Additionally, network segmentation and application whitelisting can help prevent exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing security awareness training to help users recognize potentially malicious help content. This vulnerability exemplifies the importance of proper security attribute assignment in software components and demonstrates how incorrect privilege escalation can lead to severe system compromise, aligning with ATT&CK techniques related to privilege escalation and code execution through trusted applications.