CVE-2006-0935 in Word
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Word 2003 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a crafted file, as demonstrated by 101_filefuzz.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/20/2018
Microsoft Word 2003 contains a critical vulnerability that enables remote attackers to trigger a denial of service condition through the exploitation of a malformed file structure. This vulnerability specifically affects the file parsing mechanisms within the application's handling of document formats, where insufficient input validation leads to application instability and potential crashes. The flaw manifests when Word attempts to process a specially crafted file that contains malformed data structures or unexpected byte sequences that the application's parser cannot properly handle. The vulnerability has been demonstrated through the 101_filefuzz exploit which showcases how an attacker can construct a file that, when opened by Word 2003, causes the application to terminate unexpectedly. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of buffer overflows and memory corruption issues as defined by CWE-121, where improper handling of input data leads to application instability. The attack vector operates remotely through file delivery mechanisms such as email attachments, web downloads, or file sharing platforms, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users may inadvertently open malicious documents. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risks for organizations relying on Microsoft Word 2003, as it can be exploited to disrupt business operations through application crashes that may affect productivity and require system recovery procedures. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise user trust in the application and create opportunities for more sophisticated attacks if attackers can leverage the instability for additional exploitation techniques. The vulnerability represents a classic example of insufficient input validation that aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which involves gaining access to systems through application vulnerabilities. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including disabling automatic opening of attachments, deploying application whitelisting solutions, and ensuring all systems have up-to-date security patches. The remediation process requires comprehensive application updates to address the underlying parsing issues, along with network security measures such as email filtering and web content filtering to prevent delivery of malicious files. System administrators must also consider implementing user education programs to reduce the risk of accidental exploitation through social engineering attacks that rely on users opening suspicious documents. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and memory management practices in software development, emphasizing the need for robust error handling mechanisms that prevent application crashes from occurring during normal file processing operations.