CVE-2007-0209 in Office
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Word in Office 2000 SP3, XP SP3, Office 2003 SP2, Works Suite 2004 to 2006, and Office 2004 for Mac allows user-assisted remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a Word file with a malformed drawing object, which leads to memory corruption.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/14/2019
This vulnerability represents a critical memory corruption flaw in Microsoft Word applications across multiple versions including Office 2000 SP3, XP SP3, Office 2003 SP2, Works Suite 2004-2006, and Office 2004 for Mac. The vulnerability specifically manifests when processing malformed drawing objects within Word files, creating conditions that allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation and memory management during the parsing of drawing objects, which are commonly embedded in Word documents for visual representation and formatting purposes. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations, both of which are fundamental memory corruption patterns that enable arbitrary code execution.
The operational impact of CVE-2007-0209 is significant as it enables remote code execution through social engineering attacks where users unknowingly open malicious Word documents. Attackers can craft specially designed documents containing malformed drawing objects that trigger the memory corruption when processed by vulnerable Word applications. The user-assisted nature of this vulnerability means that exploitation requires user interaction such as opening the malicious document, but once opened, the attack can proceed without additional user involvement. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1203, which describes exploitation for execution through malicious document files, and T1059, which covers command and scripting interpreter usage. The attack vector typically involves sending malicious Word documents via email or hosting them on compromised websites, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where document sharing is common.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires understanding of Microsoft Office's drawing object parsing mechanisms and memory layout. When Word processes a malformed drawing object, the application fails to properly validate the object's structure, leading to memory corruption that can be leveraged to overwrite critical memory locations. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited across multiple versions of Microsoft Office, increasing the potential attack surface. The memory corruption occurs during the rendering process of drawing objects, which are often embedded in documents to provide visual elements such as charts, diagrams, and graphics. Security researchers have documented that the vulnerability can be triggered through various drawing object formats including those used in OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) containers, making the attack surface even broader. Organizations should implement multiple layers of defense including regular patching, email filtering, and user education to mitigate the risk associated with this vulnerability. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper input validation and memory safety practices in software development, particularly for applications that process complex document formats and external data sources.