Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications Insecure Library Loading Vulnerability
n/a — n/a
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.
7.8
21.0%
Vector breakdown
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Published
- Jul 10, 2012
- Modified
- Apr 14, 2026
- Added to KEV
- Apr 13, 2026
- Federal patch due
- Apr 27, 2026
CISA required action
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Weakness classification
Proof-of-concept & exploitation references
Weaponization
Public repositories whose name or description references CVE-2012-1854, found via a live GitHub search at request time. These are community-sourced signals, not a verified working exploit - cross-check each one before relying on it, and treat higher star counts and recent activity as (weak) corroboration, not proof.
No public GitHub repositories referencing CVE-2012-1854 were found at last check. Absence here is not proof no exploit exists - see the references below for vendor advisories and write-ups.
References
Frequently asked questions
What is CVE-2012-1854?
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.
How severe is CVE-2012-1854?
CVE-2012-1854 has a CVSS base score of 7.8 out of 10 (CVSS 3.1).
Is CVE-2012-1854 actively exploited in the wild?
Yes. CVE-2012-1854 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added Apr 13, 2026, meaning CISA has confirmed evidence of active exploitation.
What is the EPSS score for CVE-2012-1854?
21.0% - meaning FIRST.org's EPSS model estimates a 21.0% probability this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within 30 days (97% percentile among all scored CVEs).
What type of vulnerability is CVE-2012-1854?
CVE-2012-1854 is classified under CWE-426 (CWE-426 Untrusted Search Path).
Cross-checked against
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