How severe is CVE-2008-4265?

CVE-2008-4265 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 9.3, rated critical severity.

Is CVE-2008-4265 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 25% (98th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2008-4265?

CVE-2008-4265 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-2008-4265?

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-2008-4265 published?

CVE-2008-4265 was published on 2008-12-10 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2008-4265

CVE-2008-4265 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 25% 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: 25% (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 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted Excel spreadsheet that contains a malformed object, which triggers memory corruption during the loading of records from this spreadsheet, aka "File Format Parsing Vulnerability."

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2008-4265?: Microsoft Office Excel 2000 SP3 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted Excel spreadsheet that contains a malformed object, which triggers memory corruption during the loading of records from this spreadsheet, aka "File Format Parsing Vulnerability."
How severe is CVE-2008-4265?: CVE-2008-4265 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 9.3, rated critical severity.
Is CVE-2008-4265 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 25% (98th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2008-4265?: CVE-2008-4265 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-2008-4265?: 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-2008-4265 published?: CVE-2008-4265 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:*:*:*:*:*

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