CVE-2010-0823 in Excel
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Microsoft Office Excel 2002 SP3, 2003 SP3, 2007 SP1 and SP2; Office 2004 for mac; Office 2008 for Mac; Open XML File Format Converter for Mac; Office Excel Viewer SP1 and SP2; and Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats SP1 and SP2; allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted Excel file, aka "Excel Memory Corruption Vulnerability," a different vulnerability than CVE-2010-1247 and CVE-2010-1249.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/15/2021
This vulnerability represents a critical memory corruption flaw affecting multiple versions of Microsoft Office Excel across different platforms and operating systems. The issue manifests when processing specially crafted Excel files that contain malformed data structures, leading to unpredictable memory behavior that can be exploited by remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable systems. The vulnerability affects Office 2002 SP3, 2003 SP3, 2007 SP1 and SP2, Office 2004 for Mac, Office 2008 for Mac, Open XML File Format Converter for Mac, Excel Viewer SP1 and SP2, and the Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats SP1 and SP2, making it particularly widespread in enterprise environments where these applications are commonly deployed.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within Excel's file parsing routines. When the application attempts to process a maliciously crafted Excel file, it fails to properly validate the structure and content of various data elements, leading to buffer overflows or other memory corruption conditions. This memory corruption can occur during the parsing of complex spreadsheet elements such as formulas, charts, or embedded objects within the Excel file format. The flaw specifically relates to how Excel handles certain data structures in the file format, particularly those involving complex formatting or embedded content that may trigger improper memory allocation or access patterns. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read, which describes the condition where a program reads data past the end of a valid buffer, and potentially CWE-787: Out-of-bounds Write, which involves writing data past the end of a buffer.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching, as it enables remote code execution without requiring user interaction beyond opening a malicious file. Attackers can craft specially designed Excel files that exploit this memory corruption to gain arbitrary code execution privileges on target systems, potentially allowing them to install malware, modify system configurations, or escalate privileges. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users frequently open files from external sources, and the attack surface extends beyond individual users to include automated systems that process Excel files. Given that Excel is one of the most widely used applications in business environments, the potential for widespread exploitation is significant, with the vulnerability affecting both Windows and Mac platforms, thereby increasing the attack surface considerably.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patch deployment and administrative controls to reduce exposure. Microsoft released security updates for all affected versions of Office, and organizations should prioritize applying these patches as soon as possible to remediate the vulnerability. Network-based mitigations include implementing file filtering rules that block suspicious Excel files, particularly those with unusual extensions or from untrusted sources. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of Office applications in high-risk environments. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK framework includes techniques such as T1203: Exploitation for Client Execution and T1059: Command and Scripting Interpreter, highlighting the need for comprehensive endpoint protection measures. Organizations should also implement user education programs to raise awareness about the risks of opening suspicious Excel files, particularly those received via email attachments or downloaded from untrusted websites, as the vulnerability requires no special user interaction beyond file opening to be exploited.