CVE-2011-0976 in PowerPoint
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft PowerPoint 2002 SP3, 2003 SP3, and 2007 SP2; 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; and PowerPoint Viewer 2007 SP2 do not properly handle Office Art containers that have invalid records, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a PowerPoint document with a container that triggers certain access to an uninitialized object, aka "OfficeArt Atom RCE Vulnerability."
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/06/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-0976 represents a critical memory corruption issue within Microsoft Office applications that affects multiple versions of PowerPoint and related Office components. This flaw resides in the Office Art container handling mechanism, which is responsible for processing various graphical elements and formatting objects within Office documents. The vulnerability specifically manifests when these applications encounter Office Art containers containing invalid records that trigger improper memory management during document parsing. The flaw falls under CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations, both of which are common precursors to arbitrary code execution exploits.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through carefully crafted PowerPoint documents that contain malformed Office Art containers with invalid record structures. When these documents are opened, the affected Office applications attempt to parse these containers and access uninitialized memory objects, leading to unpredictable behavior that can be leveraged by attackers. The memory corruption typically results from the application's failure to properly validate the structure and content of Office Art containers before attempting to access their internal data elements. This improper handling creates conditions where attackers can manipulate memory pointers or overwrite critical data structures, ultimately enabling remote code execution or denial of service scenarios.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to enterprise environments where Office documents are frequently shared and opened. The vulnerability affects a broad range of Microsoft Office products including legacy versions of PowerPoint, Office for Mac, and compatibility packs, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with mixed operating system environments. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by delivering malicious PowerPoint files through email attachments, web downloads, or file sharing systems, where users inadvertently open the documents and trigger the exploit. The remote nature of the attack means that no local system compromise is required, making it particularly dangerous for targeted attacks against specific users or organizations.
The exploitation of CVE-2011-0976 aligns with several tactics described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly those related to initial access and execution phases. The vulnerability can be classified under technique T1203, which covers exploitation of remote services, and T1059, which covers command and scripting interpreter usage. Organizations should implement multiple layers of defense including regular patch management, email filtering systems that can detect malicious Office documents, and user education programs to prevent accidental document opening. Network segmentation and application whitelisting can also help mitigate the impact of successful exploitation attempts.
Microsoft addressed this vulnerability through security updates that improved the validation of Office Art container structures and enhanced memory management routines within affected Office applications. The fix specifically targets the parsing logic for Office Art containers to ensure proper validation of record structures before attempting memory access operations. Organizations should prioritize applying these security updates as they provide direct remediation for the memory corruption conditions that enable exploitation. Additionally, implementing security awareness training for users to recognize potentially malicious Office documents and establishing robust document handling policies can significantly reduce the risk of exploitation in environments where patch deployment may be delayed.