CVE-2014-6335 in Word
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Word 2007 SP3, Word Viewer, and Office Compatibility Pack SP3 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted Office document, aka "Microsoft Office Invalid Pointer Remote Code Execution Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/24/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6335 represents a critical memory corruption flaw affecting Microsoft Word 2007 Service Pack 3 Word Viewer and Office Compatibility Pack Service Pack 3. This vulnerability falls under the category of remote code execution vulnerabilities and is classified as a heap-based buffer overflow or memory corruption issue that can be exploited through maliciously crafted Office documents. The flaw exists in how these Microsoft Office applications process certain malformed Office document structures, specifically when handling pointer operations within document parsing routines.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a user opens or previews a specially crafted Office document that contains malformed data structures designed to trigger memory corruption. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation and memory management within the Office document processing engine, where the application fails to properly validate the length and structure of data elements within Office document formats. This allows attackers to manipulate memory pointers and execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the targeted user, potentially leading to complete system compromise.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant threat to enterprise environments where users frequently open documents from untrusted sources or where social engineering attacks are prevalent. The attack vector requires user interaction through opening a malicious document, making it susceptible to phishing campaigns and malicious email attachments. The impact ranges from remote code execution to denial of service conditions, with potential for privilege escalation and persistent system compromise. Organizations running affected versions of Microsoft Office are particularly vulnerable since the flaw affects widely deployed applications that are frequently used across business environments.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write conditions, both of which are common patterns in memory corruption vulnerabilities. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, as successful exploitation typically leads to code execution that can be leveraged for further system compromise. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying Microsoft security patches, deploying application whitelisting solutions, and implementing email filtering controls to prevent delivery of malicious Office documents. Network segmentation and user education programs should also be enhanced to reduce the attack surface and prevent accidental document execution. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and the risks associated with legacy software versions that may not receive continued security support.