---
id: "CVE-2012-1854"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2012-1854"]
title: "Untrusted search path vulnerability in VBE6.dll in Microsoft Office 2003 SP3, 2007 SP2 and SP3, and 2010 Gold and\u2026"
severity: "high"
cvss: 7.8
epss: null
exploited: true
status: "open"
category: "vendor"
products: [{"name": "Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)", "fixed": [], "affected": "", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "microsoft office", "fixed": [], "affected": "= 2003", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "microsoft office", "fixed": [], "affected": "= 2007", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "microsoft office", "fixed": [], "affected": "= 2010", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "microsoft visual basic for applications", "fixed": [], "affected": "", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "microsoft visual basic for applications sdk", "fixed": [], "affected": "", "ecosystem": "vendor"}]
ecosystems: ["vendor"]
tags: ["exploited", "microsoft-office", "vba", "vendor", "windows"]
not_affected_if: ["unknown"]
published_at: "2012-07-10T21:55:05+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-23T19:11:51+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-23T23:44:51+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "kev", "url": "https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2012-1854", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T19:11:51+00:00"}, {"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-1854", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T23:44:51+00:00"}]
---

# Untrusted search path vulnerability in VBE6.dll in Microsoft Office 2003 SP3, 2007 SP2 and SP3, and 2010 Gold and…

Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) loads libraries from insecure locations, so a crafted file or path can make it run attacker code. Exploitation gives an attacker code execution on the affected machine.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## Affected

- vendor:Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) affected ? fixed ?
- vendor:microsoft office affected = 2003 fixed ?
- vendor:microsoft office affected = 2007 fixed ?
- vendor:microsoft office affected = 2010 fixed ?
- vendor:microsoft visual basic for applications affected ? fixed ?
- vendor:microsoft visual basic for applications sdk affected ? fixed ?

## Fix

Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable (per CISA KEV required action).

## Timeline

- 2026-10-23T19:11:51+00:00 kev https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2012-1854
- 2026-10-23T23:44:51+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-1854

## From the sources

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.

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_Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai_