CVE-2008-4837 in Word
Summary
by MITRE
Stack-based buffer overflow in Microsoft Office Word 2000 SP3, 2002 SP3, 2003 SP3, and 2007 Gold and SP1; Word Viewer 2003 Gold and SP3; Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats Gold and SP1; and Microsoft Works 8 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted Word document that contains a malformed table property, which triggers memory corruption, aka "Word Memory Corruption Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/21/2019
This vulnerability represents a critical stack-based buffer overflow flaw in Microsoft Office Word products and related applications that was disclosed in 2008. The vulnerability affects multiple versions including Word 2000 SP3, 2002 SP3, 2003 SP3, and 2007 Gold and SP1, along with Word Viewer 2003 and the Office Compatibility Pack. The flaw manifests when processing specially crafted Word documents containing malformed table properties that cause memory corruption during document parsing. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-121 Stack-based buffer overflow, which is classified as a fundamental memory safety issue where data written to a buffer exceeds its allocated bounds, potentially overwriting adjacent memory locations including stack canaries, return addresses, or other critical program data. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited remotely through malicious Word documents delivered via email attachments, web downloads, or file sharing mechanisms, making it a prime target for zero-day exploits in corporate and enterprise environments.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when Microsoft Word processes a document containing a malformed table property structure that triggers an uncontrolled buffer overflow in the application's memory management routines. When the affected Word application parses such a document, it attempts to allocate memory for table properties but fails to properly validate the size of the data being processed. This allows an attacker to overwrite critical memory locations on the stack, potentially corrupting the return address of the calling function or other program state information. The attack vector is particularly insidious because it requires no user interaction beyond opening the malicious document, making it highly effective for social engineering campaigns. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution and T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter, as attackers can leverage the overflow to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the victim user. The vulnerability's impact is severe because successful exploitation can result in complete system compromise, allowing attackers to install malware, steal sensitive data, or establish persistent backdoors.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-4837 extends beyond individual user systems to affect entire enterprise networks, particularly in organizations with legacy Office installations. Many enterprises continued using older Office versions due to compatibility requirements, making them vulnerable to this widespread flaw. The vulnerability's remote exploitation capability means that attackers can compromise systems without requiring physical access or direct user interaction beyond document opening, which significantly increases the attack surface. Organizations running these vulnerable versions face potential data breaches, system compromise, and lateral movement opportunities for attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability. The vulnerability's classification as a memory corruption issue makes it particularly challenging to detect and prevent through traditional security measures, as the exploitation often appears as legitimate application behavior until the overflow occurs. Network administrators and security teams must consider implementing multiple layers of defense including email filtering, document validation, application whitelisting, and regular patch management to protect against this and similar vulnerabilities. The widespread nature of affected products means that organizations with older Office installations should prioritize immediate remediation and consider implementing network segmentation to limit potential attack impact.
Microsoft addressed this vulnerability through security updates released in 2008, but the long lifespan of this vulnerability demonstrates the persistent challenge of legacy software support and patch management in enterprise environments. Organizations that failed to apply these updates remained exposed to exploitation by threat actors who maintained public exploits for years after the initial disclosure. The vulnerability's characteristics align with typical attack patterns seen in targeted campaigns where attackers leverage known vulnerabilities in widely used software to gain initial access to networks. Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as representative of the broader threat landscape where outdated software represents a significant risk vector. The vulnerability's exploitation often requires minimal skill level, making it accessible to threat actors across different maturity levels, which explains its continued relevance in threat actor toolkits and exploit databases. Effective mitigation requires not only applying security patches but also implementing comprehensive vulnerability management processes that include regular assessment of legacy systems and proper retirement of unsupported software versions.