CVE-2009-0259 in OpenOffice
Summary
by MITRE
The Word processor in OpenOffice.org 1.1.2 through 1.1.5 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via a crafted (1) .doc, (2) .wri, or (3) .rtf Word 97 file that triggers memory corruption, as exploited in the wild in December 2008, as demonstrated by 2008-crash.doc.rar, and a similar issue to CVE-2008-4841.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/04/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-0259 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within the word processing components of OpenOffice.org versions 1.1.2 through 1.1.5. This security weakness specifically targets the handling of Microsoft Word document formats including .doc, .wri, and .rtf files, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where document exchange is common. The vulnerability was actively exploited in the wild during December 2008, demonstrating its real-world impact and the urgency of addressing such flaws in widely deployed office suites. The attack vector involves crafting malicious documents that trigger memory corruption when processed by the vulnerable OpenOffice components, creating a pathway for both denial of service conditions and potential arbitrary code execution.
Technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through improper memory management during the parsing of structured document formats. When OpenOffice.org attempts to process a specially crafted Word 97 file, the parsing engine fails to properly validate or handle certain document elements, leading to buffer overflows or heap corruption. This memory corruption can cause the application to crash abruptly, resulting in denial of service for legitimate users attempting to access documents. However, the vulnerability's potential for arbitrary code execution stems from the nature of the memory corruption, which may allow attackers to manipulate program execution flow through carefully crafted input data. The flaw's similarity to CVE-2008-4841 indicates a pattern of memory handling issues within the same software component, suggesting systemic problems in the document processing architecture.
The operational impact of CVE-2009-0259 extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise entire systems through remote code execution. Organizations using vulnerable versions of OpenOffice.org face significant risk when processing documents from untrusted sources, as attackers can leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to systems. The vulnerability affects users across multiple platforms where OpenOffice.org is installed, including Windows, Linux, and macOS environments, making it a cross-platform threat. The December 2008 exploitation timeline indicates that this vulnerability was actively weaponized shortly after its discovery, emphasizing the need for immediate patching and remediation measures. Network administrators must consider the potential for lateral movement through compromised systems, as successful exploitation could provide attackers with a foothold for further attacks within the network infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2009-0259 require immediate implementation of security patches provided by OpenOffice.org, as well as comprehensive network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. Organizations should implement strict document validation policies, particularly for incoming email attachments and file transfers from external sources. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations, both of which are fundamental memory safety issues. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation for privilege escalation through remote access tools, and T1059, covering command and scripting interpreter usage. Network segmentation and application whitelisting can provide additional protection layers, while regular security assessments should verify that all document processing components are updated to versions that address this specific memory corruption flaw. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining current security patches and implementing robust input validation mechanisms in office productivity suites that handle complex document formats.