CVE-2010-1245 in Excel
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Microsoft Office Excel 2002 SP3, Office 2004 for Mac, Office 2008 for Mac, and Open XML File Format Converter for Mac allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via an Excel file with a malformed SxView (0xB0) record, aka "Excel Record Memory Corruption Vulnerability," a different vulnerability than CVE-2010-0824 and CVE-2010-0821.
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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 across different platforms including Excel 2002 SP3, Office 2004 for Mac, Office 2008 for Mac, and the Open XML File Format Converter for Mac. The vulnerability specifically manifests when processing Excel files containing a malformed SxView record with the identifier 0xB0, which falls under the broader category of record parsing errors that have been extensively documented in cybersecurity literature. The flaw constitutes a classic buffer overflow condition where the application fails to properly validate the size and structure of the SxView record before attempting to process it, creating an opportunity for malicious actors to manipulate memory allocation and execute arbitrary code.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the improper handling of structured data within Excel file formats, particularly when the application encounters a specially crafted SxView record that exceeds expected boundaries or contains malformed data structures. This type of vulnerability maps directly to CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations. The memory corruption happens during the parsing phase when Excel attempts to interpret the 0xB0 record identifier, which typically represents a pivot table view structure in Excel's internal file format. Attackers can craft malicious Excel files that trigger this condition by manipulating the record size fields or by creating invalid data sequences that cause the application to allocate insufficient memory for processing the record.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends across multiple attack vectors and platforms, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments that may have users working with various Office versions across different operating systems. The vulnerability enables remote code execution without requiring user interaction beyond opening the malicious file, which aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 for Exploitation for Client Execution and T1059 for Command and Scripting Interpreter. This makes it a prime target for phishing campaigns and malicious file distribution attacks where adversaries can leverage the vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to systems. The cross-platform nature of the vulnerability means that organizations cannot simply patch one version of Office to address the issue, requiring comprehensive patch management across multiple software versions and operating systems.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate deployment of Microsoft security updates and patches that address the specific memory corruption issue in the SxView record processing. Organizations should implement strict file validation policies that scan and quarantine suspicious Excel files before they reach end users, utilizing both signature-based and behavioral analysis techniques. Network segmentation and application whitelisting can provide additional protection layers by preventing execution of potentially malicious files in critical environments. Security awareness training should emphasize the importance of avoiding opening unsolicited Excel files, particularly those received through email attachments or downloaded from untrusted sources. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date threat intelligence feeds and implementing automated patch management systems that can quickly respond to emerging threats. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should include validation of file format parsing routines to identify similar vulnerabilities in other software components that may be susceptible to similar memory corruption attacks.