CVE-2013-3858 in Word
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Word Automation Services in SharePoint Server 2010 SP1, Word Web App 2010 SP1 in Office Web Apps 2010, Word 2003 SP3, Word 2007 SP3, Word 2010 SP1, Office Compatibility Pack SP3, and Word Viewer allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted Office document, aka "Word Memory Corruption Vulnerability," a different vulnerability than CVE-2013-3847, CVE-2013-3848, and CVE-2013-3849.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/24/2021
The CVE-2013-3858 vulnerability represents a critical memory corruption flaw affecting Microsoft Word Automation Services within SharePoint Server 2010 SP1 and Word Web App 2010 SP1 in Office Web Apps 2010. This vulnerability also extends to various Word versions including Word 2003 SP3, Word 2007 SP3, Word 2010 SP1, Office Compatibility Pack SP3, and Word Viewer, making it one of the most widespread memory corruption issues in Microsoft Office applications during that period. The vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-125, which specifically addresses out-of-bounds read conditions that can lead to memory corruption and arbitrary code execution. The flaw stems from improper handling of crafted Office documents during the parsing process, where maliciously constructed documents can trigger buffer overflows or other memory manipulation issues that allow attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable systems.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when users open or preview specially crafted Office documents that contain malformed data structures designed to manipulate memory pointers and heap allocations. Attackers can construct documents with maliciously formatted elements that cause Word's parsing engine to allocate insufficient memory or access memory locations beyond intended boundaries. This memory corruption can result in stack smashing, heap corruption, or other memory management issues that provide attackers with opportunities to inject and execute malicious code with the privileges of the affected application. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered through multiple attack vectors including document preview functionality in SharePoint environments, web-based Office applications, and direct file execution scenarios, making it a comprehensive threat across Microsoft Office deployment models.
From an operational impact perspective, CVE-2013-3858 poses significant risks to enterprise environments where SharePoint Server 2010 and Word Web App 2010 are deployed, as these platforms often serve as central document repositories and collaboration tools. The vulnerability can be exploited through social engineering attacks where users are tricked into opening malicious documents, or through automated attacks targeting web applications that process Office documents. The potential for remote code execution means that attackers could gain complete control of affected systems, potentially leading to data breaches, privilege escalation, and lateral movement within networks. Organizations using older Office versions like Word 2003 and 2007 are particularly vulnerable as these versions lack many of the modern security mitigations present in later releases, and the vulnerability can cause denial of service conditions that disrupt business operations.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK framework techniques including T1059 for command and control execution and T1203 for legitimate user execution, as attackers typically need to convince users to open malicious documents or leverage automated web-based attack vectors. Mitigation strategies should include immediate deployment of Microsoft security patches and updates, particularly for SharePoint Server 2010 SP1 and Word Web App 2010 SP1 components. Organizations should implement document validation policies that scan and filter Office documents before processing, disable automatic preview features for untrusted documents, and establish network segmentation to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation. Additional defensive measures include configuring application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of Office applications in potentially unsafe contexts and implementing security awareness training to reduce social engineering attack success rates. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and demonstrates how legacy Office versions pose ongoing risks when deployed in enterprise environments, particularly when integrated with web-based collaboration platforms.