How severe is CVE-2008-4264?

CVE-2008-4264 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 9.3, rated critical severity.

Is CVE-2008-4264 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 26% (98th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2008-4264?

CVE-2008-4264 primarily affects Microsoft Office Excel. In total, 11 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2008-4264?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2008-4264 published?

CVE-2008-4264 was published on 2008-12-10 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2008-4264

CVE-2008-4264 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Office Excel with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 9.3. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 26% places it in the 98th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-399.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 2.0 base score 9.3)
EPSS exploit prediction: 26% (98th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-399
Affected product: Microsoft Office Excel
Published: 2008-12-10
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

Microsoft Office Excel 2000 SP3, 2002 SP3, 2003 SP3, and 2007 Gold and SP1; Excel Viewer 2003 Gold and SP3; Excel Viewer; Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats Gold and SP1; Office 2004 and 2008 for Mac; and Open XML File Format Converter for Mac allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted Excel spreadsheet that contains a malformed formula, which triggers "pointer corruption" during the loading of formulas from this spreadsheet, aka "File Format Parsing Vulnerability."

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2008-4264?: Microsoft Office Excel 2000 SP3, 2002 SP3, 2003 SP3, and 2007 Gold and SP1; Excel Viewer 2003 Gold and SP3; Excel Viewer; Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats Gold and SP1; Office 2004 and 2008 for Mac; and Open XML File Format Converter for Mac allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted Excel spreadsheet that contains a malformed formula, which triggers "pointer corruption" during the loading of formulas from this spreadsheet, aka "File Format Parsing Vulnerability."
How severe is CVE-2008-4264?: CVE-2008-4264 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 9.3, rated critical severity.
Is CVE-2008-4264 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 26% (98th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2008-4264?: CVE-2008-4264 primarily affects Microsoft Office Excel. In total, 11 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2008-4264?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2008-4264 published?: CVE-2008-4264 was published on 2008-12-10 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (11)

cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:office_excel:2000:sp3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:office_excel:2002:sp3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:office_excel:2003:sp3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:office:2004:*:mac:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:office:2008:*:mac:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:office_compatibility_pack_for_word_excel_ppt_2007:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:office_compatibility_pack_for_word_excel_ppt_2007:*:sp1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:office_excel_viewer:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:office_excel_viewer:2003:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:office_excel_viewer:2003:sp3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:open_xml_file_format_converter:*:*:mac:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office Excel

CVE-2009-1134 — Critical (CVSS 9.3): Excel in 2007 Microsoft Office System SP1 and SP2; Microsoft Office Excel Viewer; and Microsoft Office Compatibility…
CVE-2009-0561 — Critical (CVSS 9.3): Integer overflow in Excel in Microsoft Office 2000 SP3, Office XP SP3, Office 2003 SP3, and Office 2004 and 2008 for…
CVE-2009-0560 — Critical (CVSS 9.3): Excel in Microsoft Office 2000 SP3, Office XP SP3, Office 2003 SP3, and Office 2004 and 2008 for Mac; Excel in 2007…
CVE-2009-0559 — Critical (CVSS 9.3): Stack-based buffer overflow in Excel in Microsoft Office 2000 SP3 and Office XP SP3 allows remote attackers to execute…
CVE-2009-0558 — Critical (CVSS 9.3): Array index error in Excel in Microsoft Office 2000 SP3 and Office 2004 and 2008 for Mac, and Open XML File Format…
CVE-2009-0549 — Critical (CVSS 9.3): Excel in Microsoft Office 2000 SP3, Office XP SP3, Office 2003 SP3, and Office 2004 and 2008 for Mac; Open XML File…

All CVEs affecting Microsoft Office Excel →

Other CWE-399 (Resource Management Errors) vulnerabilities

CVE-2015-8104 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The KVM subsystem in the Linux kernel through 4.2.6, and Xen 4.3.x through 4.6.x, allows guest OS users to cause a…
CVE-2015-0339 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.277 and 14.x through 17.x before 17.0.0.134 on Windows and OS X and before…
CVE-2015-0335 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.277 and 14.x through 17.x before 17.0.0.134 on Windows and OS X and before…
CVE-2015-0333 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.277 and 14.x through 17.x before 17.0.0.134 on Windows and OS X and before…
CVE-2014-4121 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 SP2, 3.5, 3.5.1, 4, 4.5, 4.5.1, and 4.5.2 does not properly parse internationalized…
CVE-2014-0560 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 10.x before 10.1.12 and 11.x before 11.0.09 on Windows and OS…

Browse all CWE-399 (Resource Management Errors) vulnerabilities →