CVE-2008-0111 in Excel
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Microsoft Excel 2000 SP3 through 2007, Viewer 2003, Compatibility Pack, and Office 2004 for Mac allows user-assisted remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted data validation records, aka "Excel Data Validation Record Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/06/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-0111 represents a critical security flaw in Microsoft Excel products spanning multiple versions including Excel 2000 SP3 through 2007, Excel Viewer 2003, the Compatibility Pack, and Office 2004 for Mac. This vulnerability operates within the data validation functionality of Excel, which is designed to control and validate user input in spreadsheet cells. The flaw enables malicious actors to craft specially formatted data validation records that can trigger arbitrary code execution when processed by the vulnerable Excel applications. The vulnerability is classified as user-assisted remote code execution, meaning that while the attacker requires some form of user interaction to initiate the exploit, the attack can be delivered remotely through various means such as email attachments or malicious websites.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within Excel's handling of data validation records. When Excel processes spreadsheet files containing maliciously crafted data validation entries, the application fails to properly validate the structure and content of these records before executing them. This processing error creates a buffer overflow or memory corruption condition that can be exploited to inject and execute malicious code with the privileges of the user running Excel. The vulnerability specifically impacts the way Excel parses and interprets data validation settings that control what type of data can be entered into cells, making it particularly dangerous because data validation is commonly used in business spreadsheets and is often enabled by default.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution to encompass significant risks for enterprise environments and individual users. Organizations utilizing older versions of Microsoft Office are particularly vulnerable, as these products were widely deployed in corporate settings where spreadsheet processing is common. The user-assisted nature of the attack means that successful exploitation typically requires social engineering to convince users to open malicious files, but once triggered, the consequences can be severe. Attackers could potentially gain full system control, access sensitive data, deploy additional malware, or establish persistent backdoors. The vulnerability affects not only the targeted Excel applications but also impacts the broader Microsoft Office ecosystem, as data validation records are commonly shared across different Office products.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-0111 focus primarily on immediate patching and implementation of administrative controls. Microsoft released security updates to address this vulnerability, and organizations should prioritize applying these patches to all affected systems. Additionally, implementing strict file validation policies, disabling automatic execution of macros and external content, and educating users about the risks of opening untrusted spreadsheet files can significantly reduce the attack surface. Network-level protections such as email filtering and web content filtering can help prevent the delivery of malicious files. From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK techniques related to exploitation of software vulnerabilities and privilege escalation, while the CWE classification would fall under CWE-121 for heap-based buffer overflow or similar memory corruption issues. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to prevent execution of untrusted Office files and maintain regular security assessments to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in their software inventory.