# CVE-2000-0788: Code injection in n/a

> An attacker can execute arbitrary commands by tricking a user into opening a malicious Access database via Word's Mail Merge tool.

- **Severity:** Critical 10.0 (`AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 9 Mar 2002
- **Updated:** 8 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-h974-5hr9-px48

## What is CVE-2000-0788?

CVE-2000-0788 is a critical code injection vulnerability in Microsoft Word, published on 9 Mar 2002. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

The Mail Merge tool in Microsoft Word does not prompt the user before executing Visual Basic (VBA) scripts in an Access database, which could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary commands.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2000-0788?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Microsoft Access, Microsoft Word.

## How do I fix CVE-2000-0788?

No fix has been published for CVE-2000-0788 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2000-0788 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2000-0788 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Microsoft Word

- [CVE-2007-0671](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2007-0671/): Microsoft Office Excel Remote Code Execution (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2015-2503](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-2503/): Security feature bypass in n/a (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2013-3155](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-3155/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2013-3156](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-3156/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2013-3157](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-3157/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2000-0788 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2000-0788 is a critical code injection vulnerability in Microsoft Word, published on 9 Mar 2002. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2000-0788 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Microsoft Word. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2000-0788/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2000-0788/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2000-0788
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2000-0788
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2000-0788

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2000-0788/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.