CVE-2004-2482 in Word
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Outlook 2000 and 2003, when configured to use Microsoft Word 2000 or 2003 as the e-mail editor and when forwarding e-mail, does not properly handle an opening OBJECT tag that does not have a closing OBJECT tag, which causes Outlook to automatically download the URI in the data property of the OBJECT tag and might allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/28/2019
This vulnerability exists in Microsoft Outlook 2000 and 2003 versions when configured to use Microsoft Word 2000 or 2003 as the email editor component. The flaw occurs specifically during email forwarding operations where Outlook fails to properly validate HTML content containing OBJECT tags without proper closing tags. When an attacker crafts a malicious email with an improperly formatted OBJECT tag that includes a data property pointing to a remote URI, Outlook's email editor automatically attempts to download and execute content from that URI without proper user interaction or security validation. This represents a classic cross-application vulnerability where Outlook's integration with Word's HTML rendering engine creates an execution path that bypasses standard security controls. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it leverages the trust relationship between Outlook and Word, allowing attackers to execute code in the context of the user's session with elevated privileges.
The technical root cause stems from inadequate input validation and improper handling of malformed HTML content within the email rendering pipeline. When Outlook processes forwarded emails through Word's editor, it encounters the malformed OBJECT tag and attempts to resolve the URI specified in the data attribute without proper sanitization or security checks. This behavior aligns with CWE-185, which addresses improper handling of regular expression patterns, and CWE-755, which covers improper handling of exceptional conditions. The vulnerability exploits the principle of least privilege by allowing remote code execution through a seemingly benign email forwarding operation, demonstrating how integration points between applications can create unexpected security risks. The attack vector is particularly insidious because it requires minimal user interaction beyond receiving and forwarding the malicious email, making it suitable for automated phishing campaigns.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations using legacy Microsoft Office versions, as it allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on targeted systems without requiring user interaction beyond opening the malicious email. This creates a potential for widespread compromise across an organization's email infrastructure, particularly affecting users who regularly forward emails and use Word as their email editor. The vulnerability can be exploited to download and execute malware, establish backdoors, or perform additional attacks such as credential theft or privilege escalation. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1133 for external remote services, as attackers can leverage the executed code to establish persistent access. The attack chain typically involves initial compromise through email delivery followed by code execution, potentially leading to full system compromise.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including disabling the integration between Outlook and Word for email editing, updating to supported Microsoft Office versions, and implementing email filtering solutions that can detect and block malformed HTML content. Network-level defenses should include content filtering appliances that can identify and block OBJECT tags with suspicious data attributes. Users should be trained to avoid forwarding suspicious emails and to maintain current security patches for their Microsoft Office installations. Security administrators should consider disabling the automatic download of external content in email clients and implement strict MIME type validation for email attachments. Microsoft released security updates for this vulnerability, and organizations should ensure all systems are patched according to their vulnerability management policies. The incident highlights the importance of proper input validation and the risks associated with deep integration between applications, particularly when one application serves as a rendering engine for another.