CVE-2011-0978Excel Memory Corruption
Stack-based buffer overflow in Microsoft Excel 2002 SP3, 2003 SP3, and 2007 SP2; Office 2004 for Mac; Excel Viewer SP2; and Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats SP2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via vectors related to an…
Published Feb 10, 2011 · Updated Apr 28, 2026
Key Facts
Patch immediately- CVE-2011-0978 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 43% 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)
43%
Higher than 98.6% of all scored CVEs
Exploit maturity
Proof of concept
ATLAS score
39/100
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
Description
Stack-based buffer overflow in Microsoft Excel 2002 SP3, 2003 SP3, and 2007 SP2; Office 2004 for Mac; Excel Viewer SP2; and Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats SP2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via vectors related to an axis properties record, and improper incrementing of an array index, aka "Excel Array Indexing Vulnerability."
Affected Products
6 affected entries in total| Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| ExcelMicrosoft | 2002-sp3, 2003-sp3, 2007-sp2 | n/a |
| Excel ViewerMicrosoft | See advisory | n/a |
| OfficeMicrosoft | 2004 | n/a |
| Office Compatibility PackMicrosoft | 2007-sp2 | n/a |
Timeline
Publicly disclosed
Feb 10, 2011
Last updated
Apr 28, 2026
Weakness Type
- CWE-119 Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer
References
- exploitExploitDB-17227
- otherdvlabs.tippingpoint.com · zdi-disclosure-microsoft
- otherMS11-021
- other39122
- other43232
FAQ
Common Questions.
Stack-based buffer overflow in Microsoft Excel 2002 SP3, 2003 SP3, and 2007 SP2; Office 2004 for Mac; Excel Viewer SP2; and Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats SP2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via vectors related to an axis properties record, and improper in…
Affected: Excel (Microsoft) versions 2002-sp3, 2003-sp3, 2007-sp2; Excel Viewer (Microsoft); Office (Microsoft) versions 2004, 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-2011-0978 On Your Attack Surface?
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