Known exploited vulnerability
CVE-2009-0238
The short answer
CVE-2009-0238 affects n/a n/a and is rated high (CVSS 8.8). CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-04-14: attackers are using it, so patch it first.
What it is
Microsoft Office Excel 2000 SP3, 2002 SP3, 2003 SP3, and 2007 SP1; Excel Viewer 2003 Gold and SP3; Excel Viewer; Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats SP1; and Excel in Microsoft Office 2004 and 2008 for Mac allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted Excel document that triggers an access attempt on an invalid object, as exploited in the wild in February 2009 by Trojan.Mdropper.AC.
Weakness: CWE-94.
Severity
8.8 high
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Exploited (CISA KEV)
Yes, since Apr 14, 2026
Federal due date Apr 28, 2026
EPSS, next 30 days
43%
Higher than 99% of scored CVEs
How it can be exploited
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
What CISA says to do
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Affected products
n/a. NVD's record lists the exact affected versions.
References
- docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2009/ms09-009 Vendor Advisory
- exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/48875 Third Party Advisory
- oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A5968 Broken Link
- docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2009/ms09-009 Vendor Advisory
- exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/48875 Third Party Advisory
- oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A5968 Broken Link
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2009-0238 US Government Resource
Questions
Is CVE-2009-0238 being exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2009-0238 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-04-14, with a federal remediation due date of 2026-04-28.
How do I fix CVE-2009-0238?
CISA's required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
From NVD, CISA KEV, FIRST EPSS and OSV.dev, checked . Status on NVD: Analyzed. The description is NVD's text, quoted as published.
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