CVE-2012-0158: Microsoft MSCOMCTL.OCX Remote Code Execution, actively exploited

Description

The (1) ListView, (2) ListView2, (3) TreeView, and (4) TreeView2 ActiveX controls in MSCOMCTL.OCX in the Common Controls in Microsoft Office 2003 SP3, 2007 SP2 and SP3, and 2010 Gold and SP1; Office 2003 Web Components SP3; SQL Server 2000 SP4, 2005 SP4, and 2008 SP2, SP3, and R2; BizTalk Server 2002 SP1; Commerce Server 2002 SP4, 2007 SP2, and 2009 Gold and R2; Visual FoxPro 8.0 SP1 and 9.0 SP2; and Visual Basic 6.0 Runtime allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted (a) web site, (b) Office document, or (c) .rtf file that triggers "system state" corruption, as exploited in the wild in April 2012, aka "MSCOMCTL.OCX RCE Vulnerability."

CVSS 3.1 breakdown

Attack vectorNetwork

Attack complexityLow

Privileges requiredNone

User interactionRequired

ScopeUnchanged

ConfidentialityHigh

IntegrityHigh

AvailabilityHigh

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected products

Microsoft Biztalk Server2002

Microsoft Commerce Server2002 · 2007

Microsoft Commerce Server 2009r2

Microsoft Office2003 · 2007 · 2010

Microsoft Office Web Components2003

Microsoft SQL Server 2000all versions

Microsoft SQL Server 2005all versions

Microsoft SQL Server 2008r2

Microsoft Visual Basic6.0

Microsoft Visual Foxpro8.0 · 9.0

Remediation

No fixed version is recorded in the NVD data. Check the vendor advisory for the latest guidance.

Patch & vendor advisories

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2012/ms12-027

References

http://opensources.info/comment-on-the-curious-case-of-a-cve-2012-0158-exploit-by-chris-pierce/Broken Link
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2012/ms12-027PatchVendor Advisory
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/74372Third Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A15462Broken Link
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2012-0158US Government Resource
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/52911Broken LinkThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
http://www.securitytracker.com/id?1026899Broken LinkThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
http://www.securitytracker.com/id?1026900Broken LinkThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
http://www.securitytracker.com/id?1026902Broken LinkThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
http://www.securitytracker.com/id?1026903Broken LinkThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry

and 3 more references

Related CVEs

Recent high-severity vulnerabilities sharing a weakness type.

Frequently asked

Is CVE-2012-0158 being actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2012-0158 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added 3 Nov 2021. It has been used in ransomware campaigns.

How severe is CVE-2012-0158?

CVE-2012-0158 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8, rated high. EPSS estimates a 100.0% probability of exploitation.

Which products are affected by CVE-2012-0158?

Affected products include Microsoft Biztalk Server, Microsoft Commerce Server, Microsoft Commerce Server 2009, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Office Web Components, and 5 more.

How do I fix CVE-2012-0158?

Apply the vendor's patch or advisory guidance, then verify no affected versions remain across your devices.

How Secuno handles this

Secuno correlates vulnerabilities like CVE-2012-0158 against the real software inventory on every managed device, every day. Rather than a static severity, each match is scored in context: exploit availability, EPSS, the asset's exposure, and business criticality decide where it lands in the queue. Because it is on the CISA KEV list, Secuno flags any affected asset as top-priority automatically. If an affected version is present anywhere across your portfolio, it surfaces automatically with a prioritised remediation path.

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