CVE-2010-3220 in Word
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Microsoft Word 2002 SP3 and Office 2004 for Mac allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted Word document that triggers memory corruption, aka "Word Parsing Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/26/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-3220 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Microsoft Word 2002 SP3 and Office 2004 for Mac applications. This issue stems from inadequate input validation during the parsing of maliciously crafted Word documents, creating a pathway for remote code execution attacks. The vulnerability specifically targets the document parsing engine's handling of malformed or specially constructed file structures that trigger buffer overflows or other memory corruption conditions. Attackers can exploit this weakness by preparing a malicious Word document that, when opened by an affected system, causes the application to process the file in a manner that overwrites critical memory segments. Such memory corruption typically occurs during the parsing of complex document elements including embedded objects, formatting structures, or macro instructions that are improperly validated or sanitized by the application's parser.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with common software security weaknesses categorized under CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations. These flaws occur when applications fail to properly validate input data before processing it, allowing attackers to manipulate memory layout and execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected user. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it requires no local privileges or user interaction beyond opening the malicious document, making it a prime target for phishing campaigns and remote exploitation. The vulnerability demonstrates how legacy applications often contain unpatched memory handling issues that persist across multiple versions due to insufficient security testing or architectural limitations in older software designs.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risk to organizations that still maintain legacy Microsoft Office installations, particularly those running Office 2004 for Mac or Word 2002 SP3 environments. The impact extends beyond individual user systems to potentially compromise entire network infrastructures when attackers leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access or deploy additional malicious payloads. The remote execution capability means that attackers can compromise systems from outside the network perimeter, making this vulnerability particularly attractive for cybercriminals seeking to expand their attack surface. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability may be leveraged as an initial access vector in multi-stage attacks, potentially leading to privilege escalation or lateral movement within compromised networks.
Organizations should prioritize immediate mitigation measures including mandatory software updates and patches from Microsoft, which would address the underlying memory corruption issues in the affected Word parsing components. Network segmentation and email filtering solutions should be enhanced to detect and block suspicious document attachments that may contain malicious payloads targeting this vulnerability. Additionally, implementing application whitelisting policies and disabling macro execution in Word documents can significantly reduce the attack surface. The remediation process should include comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all systems running affected Office versions, followed by systematic patch deployment and user education to prevent accidental opening of malicious documents. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous behavior patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, particularly around document processing activities and memory allocation patterns consistent with buffer overflow conditions.