{"id":"CVE-2012-1854","published":"2012-07-10T21:55:05Z","modified":"2026-06-16T23:40:25Z","title":"Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications Insecure Library Loading Vulnerability","vendor":"Microsoft","product":"Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)","tier":"core","eol":null,"description":{"text":"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.","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"summary":{"text":"The flaw is an untrusted search path weakness in VBE6.dll, a component of Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) as shipped in Microsoft Office 2003 SP3, 2007 SP2 and SP3, and 2010 Gold and SP1, as well as in the Summit Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications SDK. An attacker with local access can place a malicious DLL in the current working directory, such as a folder containing a .docx file, so that it is loaded in place of the legitimate library, gaining elevated privileges, and this requires the user to open or interact with that content.","provenance":"ai","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","generatedAt":"2026-10-23T07:13:23Z"},"cvss":{"score":7.8,"severity":"HIGH","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"epss":{"score":0.20867,"percentile":0.97541,"date":"2026-10-28","provenance":"source"},"kev":{"dateAdded":"2026-04-13","dueDate":"2026-04-27","ransomware":false,"requiredAction":"Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.","notes":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2012/ms12-046 ; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-1854","provenance":"source"},"vulncheckKev":{"dateAdded":"2012-07-10","exploitedFirstSeen":"2012-07-10","ransomware":false,"evidence":[{"url":"https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2012-1854","date":"2012-07-10"},{"url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/SecurityBulletins/2012/ms12-046","date":"2012-11-13"},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json","date":"2026-04-13"}],"evidenceTotal":3,"provenance":"source"},"exploited":true,"otx":{"pulseCount":50,"pulses":[{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 29, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae20c1db17e7057ae7d9ad1","created":"2026-10-28"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 28, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae0ba7e0e2a97ff7b218819","created":"2026-10-27"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 27, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adf68b85c3e852f3c111d18","created":"2026-10-26"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 24, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adb740e397c3ad4799aa4cd","created":"2026-10-23"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 23, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ada236fcfba2dfa730ea482","created":"2026-10-22"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 22, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad8d33a077cbb5cab524d80","created":"2026-10-21"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 21, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad78130c4d1ac2be83a8b6d","created":"2026-10-20"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 20, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad62f63c24a405a3423cc13","created":"2026-10-19"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 19, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad4dda174e5797d0bd238b7","created":"2026-10-18"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 18, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad38c22e1848f8189d1c121","created":"2026-10-17"}],"provenance":"machine"},"cwes":[{"id":"CWE-426","name":"Untrusted Search Path"}],"references":[{"url":"http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA12-192A.html","tags":["US Government Resource"]},{"url":"https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2012/ms12-046","tags":["Mitigation","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A14950","tags":["Broken Link"]},{"url":"http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA12-192A.html","tags":["US Government Resource"]},{"url":"https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2012/ms12-046","tags":["Mitigation","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A14950","tags":["Broken Link"]},{"url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/SecurityBulletins/2012/ms12-046","tags":["Mitigation","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2012-1854","tags":["US Government Resource"]}],"techniques":[{"id":"T1574.008","name":"Path Interception by Search Order Hijacking","tactics":["execution","stealth"],"provenance":"source","basis":"ctid-cve","bases":["ctid-cve"],"basisDetail":"CTID attack_to_cve (Phase 1)","mappingType":"uncategorized","evidence":[],"confidence":"low","confidenceNote":"CTID attack_to_cve Phase 1 \"Uncategorized\" mapping (not staged by impact)"},{"id":"T1204.002","name":"Malicious File","tactics":["execution"],"provenance":"ai","basis":"ai-mapping","bases":["ai-mapping"],"basisDetail":"claude-haiku-5-5: User opens crafted document triggering DLL load","mappingType":"exploitation_technique","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"allows local users to gain privileges via a Trojan horse DLL in the current working directory","start":221,"end":314}],"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","confidence":"medium","confidenceNote":"AI-mapped from the description (quote-validated, not expert-reviewed)"},{"id":"T1574.001","name":"DLL","tactics":["execution","stealth"],"provenance":"ai","basis":"ai-mapping","bases":["ai-mapping"],"basisDetail":"claude-haiku-5-5: DLL hijacking via untrusted search path","mappingType":"primary_impact","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"Trojan horse DLL in the current working directory","start":265,"end":314}],"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","confidence":"medium","confidenceNote":"AI-mapped from the description (quote-validated, not expert-reviewed)"}],"reports":[],"affected":[],"advisories":[],"euvd":{"id":"EUVD-2012-1864","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2012-1864","exploited":true,"exploitedSince":"2026-04-13","provenance":"source"},"exploits":[],"exploitSources":null,"exploitRefs":[],"flow":[{"stage":"exploitation","techniques":["T1204.002"],"provenance":"ai"},{"stage":"primary","techniques":["T1574.001"],"provenance":"ai"},{"stage":"related","techniques":["T1574.008"],"provenance":"source","lowConfidence":true}],"timeline":[{"date":"2012-07-10","kind":"published","label":"Published (NVD)","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-1854","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2012-07-10","kind":"exploited-reported","label":"Exploitation first reported (VulnCheck KEV evidence)","url":"https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2012-1854","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2026-04-13","kind":"kev","label":"Added to CISA KEV","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2026-04-13","kind":"euvd-exploited","label":"ENISA EUVD: exploited","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2012-1864","provenance":"source"}],"speed":{"daysToPublicExploit":null,"firstExploitFrom":null,"daysToKev":5025},"priority":{"score":63.0,"factors":[{"name":"In a KEV catalog","points":35.0,"detail":"listed in CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV"},{"name":"Recent KEV listing","points":0.0,"detail":"added 5224 days ago"},{"name":"Known ransomware use","points":0.0,"detail":"not known"},{"name":"EPSS percentile","points":19.51,"detail":"percentile 0.9754"},{"name":"Named in threat reports","points":0.0,"detail":"0 reports"},{"name":"Public exploit code","points":0.0,"detail":"none found"},{"name":"Mentioned in OTX pulses","points":3.0,"detail":"50 pulses"},{"name":"CVSS severity","points":5.46,"detail":"base score 7.8"},{"name":"End-of-life product","points":0.0,"detail":"supported or unknown"}]}}