CVE-2010-3451 in OpenOffice
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in oowriter in OpenOffice.org (OOo) 2.x and 3.x before 3.3 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via malformed tables in an RTF document.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/30/2024
The CVE-2010-3451 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw in OpenOffice.org's oowriter component affecting versions 2.x and 3.x prior to 3.3. This vulnerability resides within the RTF document parsing functionality and demonstrates a classic memory safety issue that has significant implications for software security. The flaw occurs when the application processes malformed table structures within RTF documents, creating conditions where memory previously allocated to objects becomes accessible after being freed, leading to unpredictable behavior.
This vulnerability operates through a specific memory management error where the oowriter component fails to properly handle reference counting for table objects during RTF document parsing. When encountering malformed table data, the parser allocates memory for table structures and subsequently frees this memory while still maintaining references to it. The use-after-free condition manifests when the application attempts to access this freed memory location, potentially causing application crashes or providing opportunities for code execution. The vulnerability's remote exploitation capability means that attackers can trigger this condition through crafted RTF documents delivered via web pages, email attachments, or file sharing platforms.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-3451 extends beyond simple denial of service to potentially enable arbitrary code execution, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where OpenOffice.org is widely deployed. The vulnerability affects the core document processing functionality of OpenOffice.org, which is commonly used for creating and editing office documents across various operating systems including windows linux and macos. Attackers can leverage this flaw to execute malicious code with the privileges of the user running the vulnerable software, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal user interaction beyond opening a malicious RTF document, making it particularly effective in phishing campaigns and social engineering attacks.
Security professionals should note that this vulnerability aligns with CWE-416 which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions in software applications. The flaw demonstrates poor memory management practices and inadequate input validation during document parsing operations. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected OpenOffice.org installations to mitigate this risk, as the vulnerability has been widely exploited in the wild. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under initial access and execution tactics, where attackers leverage document-based exploits to gain system access. Remediation efforts should include not only applying the official patches but also implementing email filtering rules to block suspicious RTF attachments and educating users about the risks of opening untrusted documents. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper memory management in office productivity software and underscores the need for comprehensive input validation across all document parsing components.