CVE-1999-0384: Medium severity Microsoft Office vulnerability
The Forms 2.0 ActiveX control (included with Visual Basic for Applications 5.0) can be used to read text from a user's clipboard when the user accesses documents with ActiveX content.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Remove
Remove
Forms 2.0 ActiveX control (included with Visual Basic for Applications 5.0)from your environment.If the Forms 2.0 ActiveX control is not required, unregister or remove the Forms 2.0 ActiveX control (MSForms) from affected systems to eliminate the ability for that control to read clipboard contents.
- Configuration
Disable automatic execution of ActiveX controls in Office documents, or set prompts so users must explicitly allow ActiveX content before it runs. This prevents Forms 2.0 ActiveX control from executing when a document is opened.
Microsoft Office / VBA ActiveX controls execution = disabled or prompt - Compensating control
Prevent users from opening documents with ActiveX content from untrusted sources (e.g., block such attachments at mail gateway, restrict file share locations, or quarantine untrusted documents) to reduce exposure to the Forms 2.0 clipboard-read behavior.
- Operational
Advise and train users to avoid opening documents that contain ActiveX content from untrusted or unknown sources, and report suspicious documents to IT for analysis.
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-1999-0384?
CVE-1999-0384 is classified as a moderate severity vulnerability.
How does CVE-1999-0384 affect users?
CVE-1999-0384 allows malicious ActiveX content to read a user's clipboard data.
Which software is affected by CVE-1999-0384?
CVE-1999-0384 affects Microsoft Office 98, Outlook 98, Project Professional 98, and Visual Basic 5.0.
How can I mitigate the risks associated with CVE-1999-0384?
To mitigate CVE-1999-0384, users should avoid running untrusted ActiveX controls.
Is there a fix available for CVE-1999-0384?
There are no specific patches for CVE-1999-0384; users should employ good security practices.