Microsoft Office 2003/2007/2010 libraries untrusted search path

CVSS Meta Temp Score
CVSS is a standardized scoring system to determine possibilities of attacks. The Temp Score considers temporal factors like disclosure, exploit and countermeasures. The unique Meta Score calculates the average score of different sources to provide a normalized scoring system.
Current Exploit Price (≈)
Our analysts are monitoring exploit markets and are in contact with vulnerability brokers. The range indicates the observed or calculated exploit price to be seen on exploit markets. A good indicator to understand the monetary effort required for and the popularity of an attack.
CTI Interest Score
Our Cyber Threat Intelligence team is monitoring different web sites, mailing lists, exploit markets and social media networks. The CTI Interest Score identifies the interest of attackers and the security community for this specific vulnerability in real-time. A high score indicates an elevated risk to be targeted for this vulnerability.
9.5$0-$5k0.00

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability was found in Microsoft Office 2003/2007/2010. It has been rated as critical. The affected element is an unknown function in the library libraries. Performing a manipulation results in untrusted search path. This vulnerability is cataloged as CVE-2012-1854. Furthermore, there is an exploit available. It is suggested to install a patch to address this issue.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability was found in Microsoft Office 2003/2007/2010 (Office Suite Software). It has been classified as critical. This affects an unknown function in the library libraries. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a untrusted search path vulnerability. CWE is classifying the issue as CWE-426. The product searches for critical resources using an externally-supplied search path that can point to resources that are not under the product's direct control. This is going to have an impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The summary by CVE is:

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.

The issue has been introduced in 11/17/2003. The weakness was shared 07/10/2012 by Bai Haowen with Huawei Security Labs as MS12-046 as confirmed bulletin (Microsoft Technet). The advisory is shared at technet.microsoft.com. The vendor cooperated in the coordination of the public release. This vulnerability is uniquely identified as CVE-2012-1854 since 03/22/2012. The exploitability is told to be difficult. It is possible to initiate the attack remotely. No form of authentication is needed for exploitation. Technical details and a private exploit are known. MITRE ATT&CK project uses the attack technique T1574 for this issue.

It is declared as attacked. The vulnerability was handled as a non-public zero-day exploit for at least 3158 days. During that time the estimated underground price was around $25k-$100k. The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 59909 (MS12-046: Vulnerability in Visual Basic for Applications Could Allow Remote Code Execution (2707960)), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment. It is assigned to the family Windows : Microsoft Bulletins. The commercial vulnerability scanner Qualys is able to test this issue with plugin 110184 (Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (MS12-046)).

Applying the patch MS12-046 is able to eliminate this problem. The bugfix is ready for download at technet.microsoft.com. A possible mitigation has been published immediately after the disclosure of the vulnerability. Furthermore it is possible to detect and prevent this kind of attack with TippingPoint and the filter 12386.

The vulnerability is also documented in the databases at X-Force (75949), Zero-Day.cz (351), Tenable (59909), SecurityFocus (BID 53830†) and OSVDB (83655†). The entry VDB-5648 is related to this item. Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.

Productinfo

Type

Vendor

Name

Version

License

Website

CPE 2.3info

CPE 2.2info

CVSSv4info

VulDB Vector: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv3info

VulDB Meta Base Score: 10.0
VulDB Meta Temp Score: 9.5

VulDB Base Score: 10.0
VulDB Temp Score: 9.5
VulDB Vector: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv2info

AVACAuCIA
💳💳💳💳💳💳
💳💳💳💳💳💳
💳💳💳💳💳💳
VectorComplexityAuthenticationConfidentialityIntegrityAvailability
UnlockUnlockUnlockUnlockUnlockUnlock
UnlockUnlockUnlockUnlockUnlockUnlock
UnlockUnlockUnlockUnlockUnlockUnlock

VulDB Base Score: 🔍
VulDB Temp Score: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

NVD Base Score: 🔍

Exploitinginfo

Class: Untrusted search path
CWE: CWE-426
CAPEC: 🔍
ATT&CK: 🔍

Physical: Partially
Local: Yes
Remote: Yes

Availability: 🔍
Access: Private
Status: Attacked

EPSS Score: 🔍
EPSS Percentile: 🔍

Price Prediction: 🔍
Current Price Estimation: 🔍

0-DayUnlockUnlockUnlockUnlock
TodayUnlockUnlockUnlockUnlock

Nessus ID: 59909
Nessus Name: MS12-046: Vulnerability in Visual Basic for Applications Could Allow Remote Code Execution (2707960)
Nessus File: 🔍
Nessus Risk: 🔍
Nessus Family: 🔍

OpenVAS ID: 903034
OpenVAS Name: Visual Basic for Applications Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (2707960)
OpenVAS File: 🔍
OpenVAS Family: 🔍

Qualys ID: 🔍
Qualys Name: 🔍

Zero-Day.cz: 🔍

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Interest: 🔍
Active Actors: 🔍
Active APT Groups: 🔍

Countermeasuresinfo

Recommended: Patch
Status: 🔍

Reaction Time: 🔍
0-Day Time: 🔍
Exposure Time: 🔍

Patch: MS12-046
TippingPoint: 🔍
ISS Proventia IPS: 🔍

Timelineinfo

11/17/2003 🔍
03/22/2012 +3048 days 🔍
07/10/2012 +110 days 🔍
07/10/2012 +0 days 🔍
07/10/2012 +0 days 🔍
07/10/2012 +0 days 🔍
07/10/2012 +0 days 🔍
07/10/2012 +0 days 🔍
07/10/2012 +0 days 🔍
07/11/2012 +1 days 🔍
07/11/2012 +0 days 🔍
07/12/2012 +1 days 🔍
01/02/2025 +4557 days 🔍

Sourcesinfo

Vendor: microsoft.com

Advisory: MS12-046
Researcher: Bai Haowen
Organization: Huawei Security Labs
Status: Confirmed
Coordinated: 🔍

CVE: CVE-2012-1854 (🔍)
GCVE (CVE): GCVE-0-2012-1854
GCVE (VulDB): GCVE-100-5649

OVAL: 🔍
IAVM: 🔍

X-Force: 75949
SecurityFocus: 53830 - RETIRED: Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications DLL Loading Arbitrary Code Execution Vulnerability
Secunia: 49800 - Visual Basic for Applications Insecure Library Loading Vulnerability, Highly Critical
OSVDB: 83655
Vulnerability Center: 35526 - [MS12-046] Microsoft Office and VBA Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability, Medium

scip Labs: https://www.scip.ch/en/?labs.20161013
See also: 🔍

Entryinfo

Created: 07/12/2012 16:02
Updated: 01/02/2025 13:22
Changes: 07/12/2012 16:02 (84), 04/14/2017 14:10 (10), 03/26/2021 08:43 (3), 07/15/2024 04:01 (22), 01/02/2025 13:22 (3)
Complete: 🔍
Cache ID: 216:0C2:103

Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.

Discussion

No comments yet. Languages: en.

Please log in to comment.

◂ PreviousOverviewNext ▸

Interested in the pricing of exploits?

See the underground prices here!