What it is
CVE-2012-0158 is an unauthenticated vulnerability affecting Microsoft Office. The (1) ListView, (2) ListView2, (3) TreeView, and (4) TreeView2 ActiveX controls in MSCOMCTL.OCX in the Common Controls in Microsoft...
Vulnerability report
Exploited in the wild
Confirmed confidence
In CISA KEV
CVE-2012-0158
Office Remote Code Execution
Microsoft / Office
- Severity
- CVSS 8.8 · High
- Confidence
- Confirmed
- Exploit status
- Exploited in the wild
- EPSS
- 100.0%
- First observed
- —
- Last observed
- —
Decision summary
What security teams need to know first
Direct answers before the deeper technical record.
Is it exploited?
Yes. KEV Intelligence tracks this CVE as a known exploited vulnerability. Confidence is confirmed.
Who is affected?
Microsoft / Office.
What should we do?
Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.
Overview
Office Remote Code Execution
The (1) ListView, (2) ListView2, (3) TreeView, and (4) TreeView2 ActiveX controls in MSCOMCTL.OCX in the Common Controls in Microsoft Office 2003 SP3, 2007 SP2 and SP3, and 2010 Gold and SP1; Office 2003 Web Components SP3; SQL Server 2000 SP4, 2005 SP4, and 2008 SP2, SP3, and R2; BizTalk Server 2002 SP1; Commerce Server 2002 SP4, 2007 SP2, and 2009 Gold and R2; Visual FoxPro 8.0 SP1 and 9.0 SP2; and Visual Basic 6.0 Runtime allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted (a) web site, (b) Office document, or (c) .rtf file that triggers "system state" corruption, as exploited in the wild in April 2012, aka "MSCOMCTL.OCX RCE Vulnerability."
- Published
- 10 Apr 2012
- Exploitation Reported
- 03 Nov 2021
- Attack vector
- Remote
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
Tags
cisa
metasploit
CVE References
- CVE Record CVE.org · CVE Record https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2012-0158
- MS12-027 docs.microsoft.com · Vendor Advisory https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2...
- TA12-101A us-cert.gov · Third-Party Advisory http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA12-101A.html
- 1026902 securitytracker.com · VDB Entry http://www.securitytracker.com/id?1026902
- 1026899 securitytracker.com · VDB Entry http://www.securitytracker.com/id?1026899
- 1026904 securitytracker.com · VDB Entry http://www.securitytracker.com/id?1026904
- 1026903 securitytracker.com · VDB Entry http://www.securitytracker.com/id?1026903
- 1026905 securitytracker.com · VDB Entry http://www.securitytracker.com/id?1026905
- oval:org.mitre.oval:def:15462 oval.cisecurity.org · VDB Entry https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.m...
- 52911 securityfocus.com · VDB Entry http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/52911
- ms-activex-control-code-execution(74372) exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com · VDB Entry https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/74372
- 1026900 securitytracker.com · VDB Entry http://www.securitytracker.com/id?1026900
- opensources.info/comment-on-the-curious-case-of-a-cve-2012-01... opensources.info · CVE Record http://opensources.info/comment-on-the-curious-case-of-a-cve-2012-015...
Exploitation evidence
Why KEV Intelligence marks this CVE as exploited
Third-party attestation and first-party sensor observation are shown separately so teams can judge the evidence chain.
Exploited in the wild
CISA
Independent exploitation attestation added to the KEV Intelligence record.
Proof of concept available
GitHub
Public scanner or PoC coverage increases practical exploitability.
Known exploited vulnerability sources
Per-source evidence links for KEV attestations are available through the KEV Intelligence Pro API.
Learn about Pro API access| Source | Added |
|---|---|
| CISA First | 2021-11-03 00:00 UTC |
Detection
Operational artifacts and observed signals
Make the evidence actionable in scanner, SOC, and edge-control workflows.
Observed signals
- Request targets
- 0
- User-Agents
- 0
Raw values available in Pro and Enterprise.
Scanner coverage
Metasploit template detected 28 Apr 2025.
View Metasploit template (opens in new tab)Virtual patch status
No KEV Intelligence virtual patch is currently available. Future rules ship for ModSecurity, Cloudflare, and AWS WAF.
Learn about virtual patches →Scanner Artifacts
Scanner and exploit-framework references linked to this CVE.
| Scanner | Reference | Detected |
|---|---|---|
| Metasploit | https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/windows/fileformat/ms12_027_mscomctl_bof.rb | 28 Apr 2025 |
Risk and context
Severity, weaknesses, and research context
CVSS v3.1
8.8
High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS
100.0%
All CVSS Scores
CVSS v3.1
8.8
High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS v2.0
9.3
High
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Potential Proof of Concepts
These PoCs are unverified and could contain malware. Use at your own risk.
Timeline
From disclosure to observed exploitation
-
Metasploit module available
Exploit module available
-
Public PoC available
Public proof-of-concept code published
-
Added to CISA KEV
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
-
CVE published
Vulnerability disclosed publicly
-
CVE ID reserved
Identifier reserved by the CNA
Pro API
Automate this intelligence
Confidence, exploit status, sensor telemetry, PoCs, scanner integrations, mentions, and tags are available programmatically for VM, SOC, and CTI workflows.
- Evidence confidence and provenance
- First-party sensor telemetry
- PoC and scanner references
- Affected versions and enrichment
- Automation-ready JSON delivery
GET /api/v2/pro/kevs/CVE-2012-0158
Free JSON includes basic KEV fields{
"cve_id": "CVE-2012-0158",
"confidence": "Confirmed",
"cvss_score": 8.8,
"cvss_estimated": false,
"epss_score": 0.9997,
"exploit_status": {
"exploited_in_the_wild": true,
"active_exploitation_observed": false
},
"sensor_telemetry": { "attempts": 0, "sensors": 0 }
}Early warning alerts
Get alerts on high-impact exploitation
Receive curator-selected alerts when exploitation activity warrants attention. Each alert includes the evidence and context needed to decide what requires attention now.