We're gradually updating threat actor names in our reports to align with the new weather-themed taxonomy. Learn about Microsoft threat actor names
Exploit:Win32/CVE-2012-0183
Aliases: No associated aliases
Summary
Windows Defender detects and removes this threat.
This threat uses a Microsoft Office vulnerability to download and run files on your PC, including other malware.
It runs if you visit a website, use an Microsoft Office document or .rtf file (Word document), and have a vulnerable version of one of the following applications on your PC:
- Microsoft Word 2003 SP3
- Microsoft Word 2007 SP2 and SP3
- Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac
- Microsoft Office 2011 for Mac
- Microsoft Compatibility Pack SP2 and SP3
It is most often distributed through emails, but it might also be hosted on a website or distributed on network shares.
You might get an alert about this threat even if you're not using a vulnerable version of the application. This is because we detect when a website or file tries to use the vulnerability, even if it isn't successful.
Use the following free Microsoft software to detect and remove this threat:
- Microsoft Defender Antivirus for Windows 10 and Windows 8.1, or Microsoft Security Essentials for Windows 7 and Windows Vista
- Microsoft Safety Scanner
You should also run a full scan. A full scan might find other, hidden malware.
Update software
You should make sure your software is up to date:
Get more help
You can also visit our advanced troubleshooting page or search the Microsoft virus and malware community for more help.
If you’re using Windows XP, see our Windows XP end of support page.