# CVE-2018-8232: Code injection in Microsoft Visual Studio

> An attacker can execute arbitrary code by exploiting improper validation in the Microsoft Macro Assembler within Visual Studio.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 11 Jul 2018
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-7rhj-mfh9-5577

## What is CVE-2018-8232?

CVE-2018-8232 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in Microsoft Visual Studio 2017, published on 11 Jul 2018. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A Tampering vulnerability exists when Microsoft Macro Assembler improperly validates code, aka "Microsoft Macro Assembler Tampering Vulnerability." This affects Microsoft Visual Studio.

Weakness: CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-8232?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Microsoft Visual Studio 2017.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-8232?

No fix has been published for CVE-2018-8232 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2018-8232 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-8232 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Microsoft Visual Studio 2017

- [CVE-2025-21178](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-21178/): Visual Studio Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2019-1349](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-1349/): Code injection in Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2019-1350](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-1350/): Code injection in Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2019-1352](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-1352/): Code injection in Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2019-1354](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-1354/): Code injection in Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-8232 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-8232 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in Microsoft Visual Studio 2017, published on 11 Jul 2018. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-8232 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Microsoft Visual Studio 2017. 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-2018-8232/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-8232/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-8232
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-8232
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-8232

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-8232/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.