CVE-2008-0116Excel Code Injection
Microsoft Excel 2000 SP3 through 2003 SP2, Viewer 2003, Compatibility Pack, and Office 2004 and 2008 for Mac allows user-assisted remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via malformed tags in rich text, aka "Excel Rich Text Validation Vulnerability."
Published Mar 11, 2008 · Updated Apr 22, 2026
Key Facts
Patch immediately- CVE-2008-0116 is a critical-severity vulnerability (CVSS 9.3 v2) affecting Excel (Microsoft), Excel Viewer (Microsoft), Office (Microsoft) and 1 more product.
- It is not listed in any known-exploited vulnerabilities catalog. Public exploit code is available.
- EPSS estimates a 48% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- No fixed version is listed yet; check the vendor advisory for mitigations.
- Brandefense priority: patch immediately, because public exploit code exists for a high-severity flaw.
Scores
CVSS v2
9.3
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
EPSS (30-day exploit likelihood)
48%
Higher than 98.8% of all scored CVEs
Exploit maturity
Proof of concept
ATLAS score
42/100
Publication score, see How it works
Exploitation Verdict
KEV listed
Not listed
Federal due date
None
No federal due date
Ransomware use
Not reported
Attributed actors
None named
Exploit & Defence Guidance
Exploit maturity
Proof of concept
Public exploit code
1
Proof-of-concept links
In-the-wild evidence
0
Reports of active use
Advisories And Exploit References
- advisoryADV-2008-0846
- patch28168
- patchTA08-071A
Description
Microsoft Excel 2000 SP3 through 2003 SP2, Viewer 2003, Compatibility Pack, and Office 2004 and 2008 for Mac allows user-assisted remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via malformed tags in rich text, aka "Excel Rich Text Validation Vulnerability."
Affected Products
7 affected entries in total| Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| ExcelMicrosoft | 2000-sp3, 2002-sp3, 2003-sp2 | n/a |
| Excel ViewerMicrosoft | 2003 | n/a |
| OfficeMicrosoft | 2004, 2008 | n/a |
| Office Compatibility Pack For Word Excel Ppt 2007Microsoft | See advisory | n/a |
Timeline
Publicly disclosed
Mar 11, 2008
Last updated
Apr 22, 2026
Weakness Type
- CWE-20 Improper Input Validation
- CWE-94 Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')
References
- advisoryADV-2008-0846
- patch28168
- patchTA08-071A
- exploitExploitDB-5287
- otherdvlabs.tippingpoint.com · TPTI-08-03
FAQ
Common Questions.
Microsoft Excel 2000 SP3 through 2003 SP2, Viewer 2003, Compatibility Pack, and Office 2004 and 2008 for Mac allows user-assisted remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via malformed tags in rich text, aka "Excel Rich Text Validation Vulnerability."
Affected: Excel (Microsoft) versions 2000-sp3, 2002-sp3, 2003-sp2; Excel Viewer (Microsoft) versions 2003; Office (Microsoft) versions 2004, 2008, among others. The full list is in the CVE brief.
It is not listed in any known-exploited vulnerabilities catalog.
No, it is not currently listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
Public exploit code is available.
No fixed version is listed yet; check the vendor advisory for mitigations.
Brandefense priority: patch immediately, because public exploit code exists for a high-severity flaw.
Is CVE-2008-0116 On Your Attack Surface?
Brandefense matches it against the products discovered on your perimeter and opens a finding the day a CVE like this is listed.
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