CVE-2008-3460 in Office
Summary
by MITRE
WPGIMP32.FLT in Microsoft Office 2000 SP3, XP SP3, and 2003 SP2; Office Converter Pack; and Works 8 does not properly parse the length of a WordPerfect Graphics (WPG) file, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted WPG file, aka the "WPG Image File Heap Corruption Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/26/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-3460 represents a critical heap corruption issue within Microsoft Office's handling of WordPerfect Graphics (WPG) files through the WPGIMP32.FLT plugin component. This flaw exists in multiple Office versions including Office 2000 SP3, XP SP3, 2003 SP2, the Office Converter Pack, and Works 8, making it particularly widespread across the Microsoft Office ecosystem. The vulnerability stems from improper parsing of the file length field within WPG image files, which creates a condition where maliciously crafted files can trigger buffer overflow conditions during file processing. This issue falls under CWE-122, Heap-based Buffer Overflow, and demonstrates the classic pattern of insufficient input validation leading to memory corruption vulnerabilities. The attack vector is particularly dangerous as it enables remote code execution through crafted WPG files, exploiting the Office application's automatic handling of embedded graphics during document opening or preview operations.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when Microsoft Office applications attempt to process a maliciously crafted WPG file through the WPGIMP32.FLT plugin. The flaw manifests when the application fails to properly validate the length field within the WPG file structure, causing the application to allocate insufficient memory for processing the image data. This inadequate memory allocation results in heap corruption when the application attempts to write beyond the allocated buffer boundaries. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it leverages the automatic preview and rendering capabilities of Office applications, meaning that simply opening a malicious document or even viewing it in a preview pane could trigger the exploit. Attackers can craft WPG files with malformed length fields that cause the application to overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially allowing them to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running the vulnerable Office application. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1203, Exploitation for Client Execution, and T1068, Exploitation for Privilege Escalation.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-3460 extends beyond simple remote code execution, as it represents a significant threat to enterprise security environments where Office applications are widely used. Organizations running affected Office versions face potential compromise through spearphishing campaigns targeting WordPerfect graphics files, or through malicious documents that contain embedded WPG graphics. The vulnerability's exploitation can lead to complete system compromise, allowing attackers to establish persistent backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive data, or deploy additional malware payloads. Given that this vulnerability affects multiple versions of Office across different platforms, the attack surface is extensive and difficult to fully mitigate without comprehensive patching. The memory corruption nature of the flaw also makes it particularly challenging to detect and analyze, as the exploitation may not immediately cause application crashes but could result in subtle system instability or data corruption. This vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and demonstrates how legacy file format handling code can contain critical security flaws that persist across multiple software versions and platforms.