CVE-2010-4643 in OpenOffice
Summary
by MITRE
Heap-based buffer overflow in Impress 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 a crafted Truevision TGA (TARGA) file in an ODF or Microsoft Office document.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/30/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-4643 represents a critical heap-based buffer overflow within the Impress component of OpenOffice.org versions 2.x and 3.x prior to 3.3. This flaw exists in the handling of Truevision TGA (TARGA) image files when they are embedded within ODF documents or Microsoft Office formats, creating a significant attack surface for remote exploitation. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management when processing these specific image formats, allowing maliciously crafted files to trigger memory corruption conditions that can lead to system instability or unauthorized code execution.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves improper bounds checking during the parsing of TGA file headers and image data structures. When Impress attempts to load a malicious TGA file, the application fails to properly validate the dimensions and data size parameters contained within the TGA file format specification. This allows attackers to craft TGA files with malformed metadata that causes the heap memory allocation routines to overflow, potentially overwriting adjacent memory regions. The flaw operates at the intersection of image processing libraries and memory management systems, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered through normal document opening procedures without requiring special privileges or direct system access.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to organizations relying on OpenOffice.org for document processing, as it enables remote code execution capabilities that can be exploited through social engineering attacks or compromised documents. Attackers can deliver malicious TGA files embedded within seemingly legitimate ODF or Microsoft Office documents, making detection difficult and increasing the likelihood of successful exploitation. The vulnerability affects both the document viewing and editing functionalities of Impress, potentially allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running the application. This creates a pathway for privilege escalation, data exfiltration, and persistent access to compromised systems.
The security implications of CVE-2010-4643 align with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter execution. Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including mandatory application updates to OpenOffice.org 3.3 or later versions, deployment of network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious TGA file patterns, and user education regarding the dangers of opening untrusted documents. Additional protective measures include implementing strict file type validation, restricting document processing to sandboxed environments, and establishing robust patch management procedures to ensure timely deployment of security updates. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation in multimedia processing components and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of document format parsers.