CVE-2011-0655 in PowerPoint
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 SP2 and 2010; Office 2004, 2008, and 2011 for Mac; Open XML File Format Converter for Mac; Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats SP2; PowerPoint Viewer; PowerPoint Viewer 2007 SP2; and PowerPoint Web App do not properly validate TimeColorBehaviorContainer Floating Point records in PowerPoint documents, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted document containing an invalid record, aka "Floating Point Techno-color Time Bandit RCE Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/06/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2011-0655 represents a critical memory corruption flaw affecting multiple Microsoft Office products and compatibility tools that process PowerPoint documents. This issue stems from insufficient validation of TimeColorBehaviorContainer Floating Point records within PowerPoint file formats, creating a pathway for remote code execution and denial of service attacks. The vulnerability impacts a broad range of Microsoft Office versions including PowerPoint 2007 SP2 and 2010, Office 2004, 2008, and 2011 for Mac, the Open XML File Format Converter for Mac, Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats SP2, PowerPoint Viewer, PowerPoint Viewer 2007 SP2, and PowerPoint Web App. The technical flaw manifests when these applications fail to properly validate floating point records within the TimeColorBehaviorContainer structure, leading to improper memory handling when processing maliciously crafted documents. This validation failure creates a condition where attackers can construct specially formatted PowerPoint files containing invalid TimeColorBehaviorContainer records that trigger memory corruption during document parsing. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-125 as "Out-of-bounds Read" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 "Exploitation for Client Execution" and T1059 "Command and Scripting Interpreter" as it enables attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable systems. The memory corruption occurs when the application attempts to process the malformed floating point records, potentially leading to stack corruption, heap corruption, or other memory management issues that can be exploited to gain unauthorized code execution privileges. The impact extends beyond simple denial of service to full system compromise, as the memory corruption can be leveraged to inject malicious code into the application process. Attackers typically exploit this vulnerability by crafting PowerPoint documents that contain specially constructed TimeColorBehaviorContainer records with invalid floating point values, which when opened by vulnerable applications cause the application to crash or execute unintended code. The vulnerability affects both Windows and Mac platforms, making it particularly dangerous as it spans multiple operating systems and application environments. Organizations using these affected products face significant risk as the vulnerability can be exploited through various attack vectors including email attachments, web downloads, or malicious documents shared through collaboration platforms. The flaw demonstrates the complexity of validating structured data formats in office applications where floating point precision and record boundaries must be carefully managed to prevent memory corruption. This vulnerability is particularly concerning given the widespread use of PowerPoint documents in corporate and educational environments, where attackers can easily distribute malicious files through legitimate channels. Microsoft addressed this vulnerability through security updates that improved validation of TimeColorBehaviorContainer records and enhanced memory management during document processing. The fix involved strengthening input validation mechanisms and implementing proper bounds checking for floating point records within the PowerPoint file parser, preventing the exploitation of memory corruption vulnerabilities that could lead to arbitrary code execution.
The technical nature of this vulnerability places it within the realm of advanced exploit development where attackers can leverage memory corruption weaknesses to achieve privilege escalation. The flaw represents a classic example of how improper input validation in complex file format parsers can create dangerous attack surfaces. The TimeColorBehaviorContainer structure is part of the PowerPoint file format specification, but the implementation fails to validate the floating point values within these containers, creating an opportunity for attackers to manipulate memory layout during parsing. This type of vulnerability often requires sophisticated exploitation techniques as attackers must carefully construct the malicious document to trigger the specific memory corruption pattern. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where PowerPoint documents are frequently shared and opened by multiple users across different systems. The attack surface is broad due to the multiple affected products, including viewer applications that may be used in web browsers or other environments where users have limited control over the software installation. Security researchers have noted that this vulnerability demonstrates the challenges of maintaining security in complex office suite applications where numerous file format parsers must be maintained and validated. The vulnerability's classification as a remote code execution flaw means that attackers do not need physical access to target systems, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments. Organizations should implement comprehensive security measures including email filtering, web proxy configuration, and user education to mitigate the risk of exploitation. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of keeping software updated, as the fix required modifications to the core file parsing logic and memory management routines within Microsoft Office applications. This type of vulnerability represents a significant concern for organizations that rely heavily on PowerPoint documents for business operations and communication, as the attack can occur silently during document opening without user awareness of the compromise.