CVE-2006-2492
CVE-2006-2492 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Office with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8. It is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming it has been exploited in the wild (added 2022-06-08). The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-120.
Key facts
- Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.8)
- CVSS v2: 7.6
- EPSS exploit prediction: 48% (99th percentile)
- Actively exploited: Yes — listed in CISA KEV (added 2022-06-08)
- EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2006-2492
- EU exploitation: Flagged exploited in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (since 2022-06-08)
- Weakness: CWE-120
- Affected product: Microsoft Office
- Published:
- Last modified:
Description
Buffer overflow in Microsoft Word in Office 2000 SP3, Office XP SP3, Office 2003 Sp1 and SP2, and Microsoft Works Suites through 2006, allows user-assisted attackers to execute arbitrary code via a malformed object pointer, as originally reported by ISC on 20060519 for a zero-day attack.
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2006-2492?
- Buffer overflow in Microsoft Word in Office 2000 SP3, Office XP SP3, Office 2003 Sp1 and SP2, and Microsoft Works Suites through 2006, allows user-assisted attackers to execute arbitrary code via a malformed object pointer, as originally reported by ISC on 20060519 for a zero-day attack.
- How severe is CVE-2006-2492?
- CVE-2006-2492 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
- Is CVE-2006-2492 being actively exploited?
- Yes. CVE-2006-2492 is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on 2022-06-08, which means active exploitation has been confirmed. It should be prioritised for remediation.
- What products are affected by CVE-2006-2492?
- CVE-2006-2492 primarily affects Microsoft Office. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
- How do I fix CVE-2006-2492?
- Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Because this CVE is known to be actively exploited, treat remediation as urgent — CISA KEV typically sets a short remediation deadline.
- Does CVE-2006-2492 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
- Yes. CVE-2006-2492 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2006-2492. It is also flagged as exploited in the EUVD (since 2022-06-08).
- When was CVE-2006-2492 published?
- CVE-2006-2492 was published on 2006-05-20 and last updated on 2026-06-16.
References
- http://blogs.technet.com/msrc/archive/2006/05/19/429353.aspx
- http://isc.sans.org/diary.php?storyid=1345
- http://isc.sans.org/diary.php?storyid=1346
- http://secunia.com/advisories/20153
- http://securitytracker.com/id?1016130
- http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/446012
- http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/919637.mspx
- http://www.osvdb.org/25635
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/18037
- http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA06-139A.html
- http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA06-164A.html
- http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2006/1872
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2006/ms06-027
- https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/26556
- https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A1418
- https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A1738
- https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A2068
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2006-2492
Affected products (5)
- cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:office:2000:sp3:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:office:2003:sp1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:office:2003:sp2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:office:xp:sp3:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:works_suite:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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