CVE-2007-1911 in Word
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple unspecified vulnerabilities in Microsoft Word 2007 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) via crafted documents, as demonstrated by (1) file798-1.doc and (2) file613-1.doc, possibly related to a buffer overflow.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/04/2024
Microsoft Word 2007 suffered from multiple unspecified vulnerabilities that created significant security risks for users and organizations relying on the software for document processing. These vulnerabilities were particularly concerning because they could be exploited remotely through specially crafted malicious documents, potentially leading to system compromise and service disruption. The specific nature of these flaws was not fully disclosed in the initial CVE description, which limited immediate understanding of their precise mechanisms and potential impact vectors.
The technical flaw manifested as a vulnerability in how Microsoft Word 2007 processed certain document formats, particularly those containing malformed or malicious content. The exploitation technique involved sending crafted documents to users who would then open them in Word 2007, triggering the vulnerable code paths that led to excessive CPU consumption. This denial of service condition could be sustained, allowing attackers to consume system resources and potentially render the target machine unusable. The vulnerability was particularly dangerous because it could be triggered simply by opening a document, without requiring any additional user interaction or privilege escalation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extended beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as it could be leveraged as part of broader attack campaigns targeting Microsoft Office users. Attackers could distribute malicious documents through various channels including email attachments, compromised websites, or social engineering tactics, making the attack surface quite broad. The fact that these vulnerabilities were related to potential buffer overflows suggested that they might also allow for more serious exploitation scenarios, including arbitrary code execution, though the primary demonstration focused on CPU consumption. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Microsoft Word is widely used for document collaboration and business operations.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability highlighted the importance of keeping software updated and implementing proper document validation procedures. Organizations should have implemented security measures such as email filtering, document preview systems, and regular security updates to protect against such threats. The vulnerability also demonstrated the need for proper input validation and memory management practices in software development, as buffer overflow conditions often indicate insufficient bounds checking in code implementations. This type of flaw aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a common attack vector that has been documented in numerous security frameworks including those referenced in the MITRE ATT&CK matrix for malicious document exploitation techniques.
Organizations should have prioritized patch management and user education to address this vulnerability effectively. The recommended mitigations included immediate deployment of Microsoft security updates, implementation of document sanitization processes, and enhanced monitoring of suspicious document handling activities. Security teams should have also considered network-based detection measures to identify and block malicious document traffic, particularly in environments where Word 2007 was still in use. The vulnerability underscored the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against sophisticated attack vectors targeting widely-used productivity software.