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CVE-2012-1856 — The TabStrip ActiveX control in the Common Controls in MSCOMCTL.OCX in Microsoft Office…

Key facts

CVE-2012-1856 is a High (8.8) vulnerability: The TabStrip ActiveX control in the Common Controls in MSCOMCTL.OCX in Microsoft Office…. This entry ships a detection-only PoC and a Docker test lab. It is on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog (added 2022-03-03), confirming active exploitation in the wild.

Actively exploited — on the CISA KEV catalog

CVE-2012-1856 is listed on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog (added 2022-03-03), confirming exploitation in the wild. Federal remediation deadline: 2022-03-24. Prioritise patching and deploy the detection and prevention rules below.
CVE CVE-2012-1856
Severity High (8.8)
CISA KEV Actively exploited (added 2022-03-03)
Detection / prevention —
PoC poc.py
Source 2012/CVE-2012-1856/

Details

English | 한국어

Description

The TabStrip ActiveX control in the Common Controls in MSCOMCTL.OCX in Microsoft Office 2003 SP3, Office 2003 Web Components SP3, Office 2007 SP2 and SP3, Office 2010 SP1, SQL Server 2000 SP4, SQL Server 2005 SP4, SQL Server 2008 SP2, SP3, R2, R2 SP1, and R2 SP2, Commerce Server 2002 SP4, Commerce Server 2007 SP2, Commerce Server 2009 Gold and R2, Host Integration Server 2004 SP1, Visual FoxPro 8.0 SP1, Visual FoxPro 9.0 SP2, and Visual Basic 6.0 Runtime allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted (1) document or (2) web page that triggers system-state corruption, aka "MSCOMCTL.OCX RCE Vulnerability."

Vulnerability Details

Property Value
CVE ID CVE-2012-1856
CVSS Score 8.8

Proof of Concept

Download

# Download PoC script
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/fankh/vulnerability-poc/main/2012/CVE-2012-1856/poc.py

Usage

# Run PoC against target
python3 poc.py --target <TARGET_URL>

# With authentication
python3 poc.py --target <TARGET_URL> --username <USER> --password <PASS>

⚠️ Warning: This PoC is for authorized security testing only. It uses detection-only techniques and does not exploit or damage target systems.

Test Lab

This repository includes a Docker-based test environment with both vulnerable and patched applications.

Quick Start

# Clone and navigate to CVE directory
cd CVE-2012-1856

# Start both applications
docker-compose up -d

# Run tests
./run-tests.sh    # Linux/Mac
./run-tests.ps1   # Windows PowerShell

Application Endpoints

Application URL Status
Vulnerable App http://localhost:8080 Shows vulnerability
Patched App http://localhost:8081 Demonstrates fix

Directory Structure

├── README.md           # English documentation
├── README_KO.md        # Korean documentation
├── poc.py              # PoC detection script
├── docker-compose.yml  # Container orchestration
├── run-tests.sh        # Linux/Mac test runner
├── run-tests.ps1       # Windows test runner
├── vulnerable-app/     # Vulnerable version
│   ├── app.py
│   ├── Dockerfile
│   └── requirements.txt
└── patched-app/        # Fixed version
    ├── app.py
    ├── Dockerfile
    └── requirements.txt

References

  • http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/54948
  • http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA12-227A.html
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2012/ms12-060
  • https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A15447
  • http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/54948
  • http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA12-227A.html
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2012/ms12-060
  • https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A15447
  • https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2012-1856

Generated by PoC Generator on 2026-07-11T17:35:10.430309429

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2012-1856?

CVE-2012-1856 is a High (8.8) vulnerability: The TabStrip ActiveX control in the Common Controls in MSCOMCTL.OCX in Microsoft Office…. This entry ships a detection-only PoC and a Docker test lab. It is on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog (added 2022-03-03), confirming active exploitation in the wild.

How do I detect CVE-2012-1856?

Run the detection-only PoC included with this entry against your Docker test lab to confirm whether a target is affected; pair it with your own IDS logging.

How do I block or mitigate CVE-2012-1856?

Upgrade to a fixed version per the vendor advisory; the NVD record lists the affected versions. Use the included PoC to verify your remediation.

Is CVE-2012-1856 actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2012-1856 is on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added 2022-03-03, which means it has been exploited in the wild. CISA set a federal remediation deadline of 2022-03-24. Prioritise patching and deploy the detection and prevention rules above.

For authorized security testing and research only. See the full source and NVD record.