CVE-2010-3214 in Word
Summary
by MITRE
Stack-based buffer overflow in Microsoft Word 2002 SP3, 2003 SP3, 2007 SP2, and 2010; Office 2004 and 2008 for Mac; Open XML File Format Converter for Mac; Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats SP2; Word Viewer; Office Web Apps; and Word Web App allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted Word document, aka "Word Stack Overflow Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/18/2021
This vulnerability represents a critical stack-based buffer overflow flaw affecting multiple versions of Microsoft Word and related Office applications across different platforms and operating systems. The vulnerability specifically impacts Microsoft Word 2002 SP3, 2003 SP3, 2007 SP2, and 2010 on Windows, along with Office 2004 and 2008 for Mac, the Open XML File Format Converter for Mac, Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats SP2, Word Viewer, Office Web Apps, and Word Web App. The flaw occurs when these applications process maliciously crafted Word documents that contain oversized data structures in memory, leading to a buffer overflow condition. According to CWE-121, this vulnerability falls under the category of stack-based buffer overflow, where insufficient bounds checking allows an attacker to overwrite adjacent memory locations on the program stack. The attack vector is particularly dangerous as it can be exploited remotely through email attachments or web downloads, making it a prime target for zero-day exploits in corporate environments where users frequently open Word documents from untrusted sources.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the exploitation of improper input validation within Microsoft Word's document parsing engine, specifically when handling certain formatting or structural elements in Word documents. When a user opens a maliciously crafted document, the application's memory management routines fail to properly validate the size of data structures before copying them into fixed-size buffers on the stack. This allows an attacker to overwrite the return address of the calling function and potentially redirect execution flow to malicious code injected into the process memory. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects multiple versions of Microsoft Office across different operating systems, including both Windows and macOS platforms, which significantly increases the attack surface. The flaw can be exploited through various file formats including .doc, .docx, and other Office document formats that support complex formatting features. The attack requires minimal user interaction beyond opening the malicious document, making it highly effective for social engineering campaigns.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple code execution, as it can lead to complete system compromise and persistent access for threat actors. Once successfully exploited, the vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running the vulnerable Office application, potentially enabling privilege escalation attacks, data exfiltration, and establishment of backdoors. The widespread adoption of Microsoft Word across enterprise environments means that a successful exploitation can affect thousands of systems simultaneously, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for organizations with legacy systems still running unsupported Office versions. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) and T1068 (Exploitation for Privilege Escalation) techniques, as attackers can leverage the initial code execution to perform further malicious activities. The vulnerability also aligns with T1133 (External Remote Services) and T1190 (Exploit Public-Facing Application) when used in targeted attacks against specific organizations through email-based delivery methods.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patch deployment across all affected systems, as Microsoft released security updates specifically addressing this flaw in their regular security bulletins. Organizations should implement strict document validation policies, including disabling automatic execution of macros and implementing sandboxing techniques for document processing. The recommended approach includes deploying Office 2010 SP2 or later versions, which contain the necessary security patches to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability. Network-based protections such as email filtering systems should be configured to scan and block suspicious document attachments, while endpoint protection solutions should be updated to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. According to Microsoft security best practices, organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies and restricting user permissions to prevent privilege escalation if exploitation occurs. Additionally, regular security awareness training should be conducted to educate users about the risks of opening untrusted Word documents, particularly those received via email or downloaded from unverified sources, as social engineering remains one of the most common attack vectors for exploiting this type of vulnerability.