HighCISA KEVExploited in the wildPublic exploit

MSCOMCTL.OCX TabStrip ActiveX Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

IdentifiersCVE-2012-1856CWE-119

CVE-2012-1856 is a remote code execution vulnerability in the TabStrip ActiveX control implemented in the Microsoft Common Controls library MSCOMCTL.OCX. Affected products include multiple Microsoft Office, SQL Server, Commerce Server, Host Integration Server, Visual FoxPro, and Visual Basic 6.0 Runtime versions that ship or use the vulnerable control. The flaw can be triggered by a crafted Microsoft Office document or a malicious web page that instantiates the TabStrip ActiveX control and causes system-state corruption. Successful exploitation can corrupt memory/state in the control and allow execution of attacker-supplied code in the context of the current user. The vulnerability is also referred to as the "MSCOMCTL.OCX RCE Vulnerability."

For your environment

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

A remote attacker can achieve arbitrary code execution on a target system when a user opens a specially crafted document or visits a malicious web page that loads the vulnerable ActiveX control. Code runs with the privileges of the current user, which can enable malware installation, data theft, persistence, and further compromise of the host. In environments where users operate with elevated privileges, impact can extend to full system compromise.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

Until patches are fully deployed, reduce exposure by disabling or restricting ActiveX controls in Internet Explorer, using Office Protected View and file-block policies for untrusted documents, and preventing automatic loading of vulnerable embedded controls in Office content. Limit user privileges to reduce post-exploitation impact, and restrict access to untrusted web content and email attachments. Where operationally feasible, unregister or kill-bit the vulnerable ActiveX control to prevent instantiation.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Apply the Microsoft security updates that address CVE-2012-1856 for all affected products and components that include MSCOMCTL.OCX, including supported Microsoft Office, SQL Server, Commerce Server, Host Integration Server, Visual FoxPro, and Visual Basic 6.0 Runtime installations. Ensure vulnerable versions of MSCOMCTL.OCX are replaced with the patched version through vendor-provided updates. Prioritize patching systems that process untrusted Office documents or permit browsing to untrusted websites with Internet Explorer/ActiveX enabled.

PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

No public exploits tracked yet. Mallory keeps watching.

VALID 0 / 0 TOTALView more in app

No public exploit code observed for this vulnerability.

EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType

Microsoft CorporationCommerce Serverapplication

Microsoft CorporationHost Integration Serverapplication

Microsoft CorporationOfficeapplication

Microsoft CorporationOffice Web Componentsapplication

Microsoft CorporationSql Serverapplication

Microsoft CorporationVisual Basicapplication

Microsoft CorporationVisual Foxproapplication

Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.

ACTIVITY FEED

Recent activity

4 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.

4 SOURCESView more in app

citizenlabNews

Nov 17, 2016

It’s Parliamentary: KeyBoy and the targeting of the Tibetan Community

A patched RTF-related Microsoft Office vulnerability referenced as part of a set of older exploits used to weaponize RTF documents in espionage campaigns; the report does not provide technical details beyond inclusion in the exploit set.

mitre attackNews

Jan 25, 2026

Exploitation for Client Execution, Technique T1203 - Enterprise | MITRE ATT&CK®

A vulnerability exploited by Patchwork for code execution (product not specified in the content).

mitre attackNews

Jan 25, 2026

Exploitation for Client Execution, Technique T1203 - Enterprise | MITRE ATT&CK®

A vulnerability exploited for code execution by Patchwork (product not specified in the provided content).

mitre attackNews

Mar 18, 2026

Exploitation for Client Execution, Technique T1203 - Enterprise | MITRE ATT&CK®

A vulnerability exploited for code execution (as referenced in the content).

What this page doesn’t show

The version that knows your environment.

This page is what’s public. Mallory adds the parts that aren’t: which of your assets are affected, which adversaries are exploiting it right now, which detections to deploy, and what to do tonight.

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Exposure mapping

Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.

Threat actor evidence2

Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.

Associated malware1

Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.

Detection signatures1

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity

Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.

EXTERNAL REFERENCES

MITRE CVE

cve.org · CVE-2012-1856

NVD

nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-1856

MITRE CWE · CWE-119

cwe.mitre.org

Patch

docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2012/ms12-060

Third Party Advisory

us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA12-227A.html

US Government Resource

cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2012-1856