CVE-2008-0104 in Publisher
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Microsoft Office Publisher 2000, 2002, and 2003 SP2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted .pub file, aka "Publisher Memory Corruption Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/04/2019
This vulnerability resides within Microsoft Office Publisher versions 2000, 2002, and 2003 SP2, representing a classic memory corruption flaw that enables remote code execution through maliciously crafted .pub files. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability indicates a fundamental flaw in how these applications process structured document formats, particularly those associated with Publisher's proprietary file handling mechanisms. The vulnerability manifests when the application attempts to parse and render a specially crafted Publisher file, leading to unpredictable memory states that adversaries can exploit to gain arbitrary code execution privileges on the target system. This represents a critical security gap that aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities, and potentially CWE-787, concerning out-of-bounds write conditions that can result in memory corruption.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple exploitation as it represents a sophisticated attack vector that adversaries can leverage through various delivery mechanisms including email attachments, malicious websites, or compromised documents. Attackers can craft .pub files that trigger buffer overflows or memory corruption during parsing operations, potentially allowing them to execute malicious code with the privileges of the user running Publisher. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that no local system compromise is necessary for initial access, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users may inadvertently open malicious documents. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation for execution through remote access and file manipulation attacks.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability typically involves creating a malicious .pub file that contains malformed data structures designed to overflow buffers or corrupt memory regions during the parsing process. When Microsoft Office Publisher attempts to open such a file, the application's memory management routines fail to properly validate input data, leading to memory corruption that can be leveraged to redirect execution flow. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the widespread use of Publisher in corporate environments and the tendency for users to open documents from untrusted sources without proper security awareness training. Organizations should consider this vulnerability as part of a broader attack surface that includes other Microsoft Office applications, particularly given the shared underlying codebases and similar exploitation patterns. Mitigation strategies include immediate deployment of Microsoft security patches, implementation of email filtering solutions to block suspicious .pub attachments, and user education programs to reduce the risk of social engineering attacks. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of application whitelisting and sandboxing technologies that can prevent arbitrary code execution even when exploitation occurs.