Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HSummary
CVE-2012-2539 is a high-severity Out-of-bounds Write (CWE-787) vulnerability in Microsoft Word. Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068); ranked in the top 1% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
The vulnerability is an out-of-bounds write (CWE-787) affecting Microsoft Word 2003 SP3, 2007 SP2 and SP3, and 2010 SP1, along with Word Viewer, Office Compatibility Pack SP2 and SP3, and Office Web Apps 2010 SP1. It is triggered when these components process specially crafted RTF data containing an invalid listoverridecount value, resulting in memory corruption.
An attacker can supply a malicious RTF document that a user opens locally or views through Office Web Apps. Successful exploitation grants remote code execution with the privileges of the current user or alternatively causes a denial of service; the CVSS vector indicates the attack requires user interaction but no authentication.
Microsoft security bulletin MS12-079 and the associated US-CERT alert TA12-346A address the issue and direct administrators to apply the vendor-supplied updates for the affected Word and Office components.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2012-2525
Vulnerability Data
Microsoft Word 2003 SP3, 2007 SP2 and SP3, and 2010 SP1; Word Viewer; Office Compatibility Pack SP2 and SP3; and Office Web Apps 2010 SP1 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption)…
more
via crafted RTF data, aka "Word RTF 'listoverridecount' Remote Code Execution Vulnerability."
- CWE(s)
- KEV Date Added
- 28 March 2022
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Likely Mitigating Controls AI
Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.
Out-of-bounds writes that corrupt control flow or inject shellcode are rendered non-executable by the same memory protections.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Secure-development practices (static analysis, bounds checking, code review) are the primary means of preventing out-of-bounds writes.
Vulnerability scanning and recording can discover out-of-bounds write flaws so they can be remediated.
Patching or replacing vulnerable software directly eliminates known instances of this coding weakness.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Security testing in development and acceptance can detect and prevent out-of-bounds write defects.
Secure development life cycle mandates practices that prevent out-of-bounds writes.
Application security requirements can specify bounds-checking and safe memory handling.
Secure architecture and engineering principles reduce the likelihood of buffer overflows.
Secure coding directly addresses out-of-bounds writes through language choice and coding standards.
Change management can enforce review gates that catch unsafe memory operations before deployment.