# CVE-2012-1856: Microsoft Office MSCOMCTL.OCX Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2012-1856-microsoft-office-mscomctl-ocx-remote-code-execution-vulnerability  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2022-03-03. Updated: 2026-05-10  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2012-1856 · Severity: critical · CVSS 8.8 · Exploited in the wild · Published 2022-03-03

The TabStrip ActiveX control in MSCOMCTL.OCX allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted documents or web pages. The vulnerability stems from system-state corruption during the handling of the control, affecting various Microsoft Office and server products.

Technologies: [Microsoft Office](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/office). Vendors: [Microsoft](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/microsoft).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2012-1856 exploited in the wild?** Yes. CVE-2012-1856 is known to be exploited in the wild, first recorded on 3 March 2022. Treat it as urgent.

**How severe is CVE-2012-1856?** Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 8.8, published 3 March 2022.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Microsoft Office 2003 SP3, 2007 SP2, 2007 SP3, 2010 SP1; Microsoft Office Web Components 2003 SP3; Microsoft SQL Server 2000 SP4, 2005 SP4, 2008 SP2, 2008 SP3, 2008 R2, 2008 R2 SP1, 2008 R2 SP2; Microsoft Commerce Server 2002 SP4, 2007 SP2, 2009 Gold, 2009 R2; and 3 more.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2012-1856?** A patch was published on 2012-08-14: Microsoft Security Bulletin MS12-060 released. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2012-1856 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2012-1856?** Check whether you run Microsoft Office. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Affected products

- Microsoft Office 2003 SP3, 2007 SP2, 2007 SP3, 2010 SP1
- Microsoft Office Web Components 2003 SP3
- Microsoft SQL Server 2000 SP4, 2005 SP4, 2008 SP2, 2008 SP3, 2008 R2, 2008 R2 SP1, 2008 R2 SP2
- Microsoft Commerce Server 2002 SP4, 2007 SP2, 2009 Gold, 2009 R2
- Microsoft Host Integration Server 2004 SP1
- Microsoft Visual FoxPro 8.0 SP1, 9.0 SP2
- Microsoft Visual Basic Runtime 6.0

## Timeline

- 2012-08-14: patched: Microsoft Security Bulletin MS12-060 released.
- 2022-03-03: kev added: Added to CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog.
- 2022-03-03: disclosed: NVD publication date.

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