How severe is CVE-2012-2539?

CVE-2012-2539 has a CVSS score of 7.8/10, rated HIGH. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which products are affected by CVE-2012-2539?

Affected package information for CVE-2012-2539 is not yet fully mapped. Check the official advisory links for details.

How do I patch CVE-2012-2539?

No patch has shipped for CVE-2012-2539 yet — track the microsoft office compatibility pack advisory for a fixed release and apply the workarounds below in the meantime.

How do I detect CVE-2012-2539 across my infrastructure?

Inventory every microsoft office compatibility pack deployment and check each version against the affected-products list above. Because the exploit targets the running system rather than your application code, also watch for remote code execution at the network and runtime layer — O3 flags the exploit behaviour from runtime telemetry and egress traffic even before a vulnerable build is confirmed.

How do I mitigate CVE-2012-2539 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

Cut exposure now: restrict the management/admin interface to trusted networks, segment the device, and apply the vendor's recommended configuration mitigations and any WAF/IPS signature. O3's runtime protection blocks the exploit chain at execution, holding the line on unpatched or end-of-life systems until you can patch.

How does O3 Security protect against CVE-2012-2539?

O3 detects and blocks CVE-2012-2539 exploitation at runtime: eBPF exploit-chain detection, plus L7 egress monitoring that catches the post-exploitation callback and severs the attacker's outbound channel.

Is CVE-2012-2539 actively exploited in the wild?

Yes. There are 1 known exploit references for CVE-2012-2539, including 1 in-the-wild exploitation observed on GitHub and other sources. Treat this as actively exploitable and prioritize patching immediately. All exploit code should only be run in an isolated sandbox environment for research or authorized testing — never against production systems without explicit written authorization.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2012-2539?

CVE-2012-2539 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 53.2%, placing it in the 99th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A score above 50% indicates significantly elevated exploitation risk — immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Is CVE-2012-2539 in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog?

Yes. CVE-2012-2539 (Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability) was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 2022-03-28. CISA required all US federal civilian agencies to remediate this vulnerability by 2022-04-18. The required action was: Apply updates per vendor instructions. Being listed in the KEV catalog is the strongest possible confirmation of active exploitation — treat this as a critical priority.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2012-2539?

CVE-2012-2539 is classified as Out-of-bounds Write (CWE-787). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation.

Which products and versions are affected by CVE-2012-2539?

CVE-2012-2539 affects microsoft office compatibility pack; microsoft office web apps (1 version, e.g. 2010); microsoft office word viewer; microsoft sharepoint server (1 version, e.g. 2010), and 1 more product(s). Check the affected-products list on this page against your deployed version to confirm exposure.

When was CVE-2012-2539 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2012-2539 was published on December 12, 2012 and was last updated on June 16, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

CISA KEV·Added 2022-03-28 — agencies required to remediate by 2022-04-18

CVE-2012-2539

HIGH

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…

Published

Dec 12, 2012

Updated

Jun 16, 2026

Affected

0 pkgs

Patched

None yet

Exploits

1 known

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

53.2%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

High Risk99th percentile0.00%

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.

Description

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) via crafted RTF data, aka "Word RTF 'listoverridecount' Remote Code Execution Vulnerability."

Affected Products

5 products · 9 configurations

Application

office compatibility packmicrosoft

all

Application

office web appsmicrosoft

1 version

2010

Application

office word viewermicrosoft

all

Application

sharepoint servermicrosoft

1 version

2010

Application

wordmicrosoft

3 versions

200320072010

Exploits & PoCs

Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.

Microsoft Word 2003 SP3, 2007 SP2 and SP3, and 2010 SP1; Word Viewer; Of…

cisa.govCISAMar 2022

Detection & mitigation playbook

Vendor / appliance

Detect
Inventory every microsoft office compatibility pack deployment and check each version against the affected-products list above. Because the exploit targets the running system rather than your application code, also watch for remote code execution at the network and runtime layer — O3 flags the exploit behaviour from runtime telemetry and egress traffic even before a vulnerable build is confirmed.
Remediation status
No patch has shipped for CVE-2012-2539 yet — track the microsoft office compatibility pack advisory for a fixed release and apply the workarounds below in the meantime.
Mitigate without a patch
Cut exposure now: restrict the management/admin interface to trusted networks, segment the device, and apply the vendor's recommended configuration mitigations and any WAF/IPS signature. O3's runtime protection blocks the exploit chain at execution, holding the line on unpatched or end-of-life systems until you can patch.
How O3 protects you
O3 detects and blocks CVE-2012-2539 exploitation at runtime: eBPF exploit-chain detection, plus L7 egress monitoring that catches the post-exploitation callback and severs the attacker's outbound channel.

Tailored to CVE-2012-2539. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.

Frequently Asked Questions

O3 Security · Runtime Protection

Is CVE-2012-2539 being exploited in your environment?

O3's eBPF runtime sensors and L7 egress monitoring detect and block the CVE-2012-2539 exploit chain at execution — protecting unpatched and end-of-life systems until the vendor patch is applied.

Protect my workloads How runtime protection works

CVE-2012-2539

EPSS Exploitation Probability

Description

Affected Products

Detection & mitigation playbook

Detect

Remediation status

Mitigate without a patch

How O3 protects you

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CVE-2012-2539 being exploited in your environment?