Microsoft Office up to 2008 input validation

CVSS Meta Temp Score
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CTI Interest Score
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9.0$0-$5k0.00

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability classified as critical was found in Microsoft Office 2000/2002/2003/2004/2008. This issue affects some unknown processing. Such manipulation leads to input validation. This vulnerability is uniquely identified as CVE-2008-3004. No exploit exists. It is advisable to implement a patch to correct this issue.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability, which was classified as critical, has been found in Microsoft Office 2000/2002/2003/2004/2008 (Office Suite Software). Affected by this issue is an unknown function. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a input validation vulnerability. Using CWE to declare the problem leads to CWE-20. The product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly. Impacted is confidentiality, integrity, and availability. CVE summarizes:

Microsoft Office Excel 2000 SP3, 2002 SP3, and 2003 SP2 and SP3; Office Excel Viewer 2003; and Office 2004 and 2008 for Mac do not properly validate index values for AxesSet records when loading Excel files, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted Excel file, aka the "Excel Indexing Validation Vulnerability."

The bug was discovered 08/12/2008. The weakness was disclosed 08/12/2008 by iDefense with VeriSign (Website). The advisory is shared for download at us-cert.gov. This vulnerability is handled as CVE-2008-3004 since 07/07/2008. The attack may be launched remotely. No form of authentication is required for exploitation. There are neither technical details nor an exploit publicly available.

It is declared as proof-of-concept. The vulnerability was handled as a non-public zero-day exploit for at least 3354 days. During that time the estimated underground price was around $25k-$100k. The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 50058 (MS08-043 / MS08-051: Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Could Allow Remote Code Execution (954066 / 949785) (Mac OS X)), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment. It is assigned to the family MacOS X Local Security Checks and running in the context l. The commercial vulnerability scanner Qualys is able to test this issue with plugin 110084 (Microsoft Excel Could Allow Remote Code Execution (MS08-043)).

Applying a patch is able to eliminate this problem. A possible mitigation has been published immediately after the disclosure of the vulnerability. Furthermore it is possible to detect and prevent this kind of attack with TippingPoint and the filter 6285.

The vulnerability is also documented in the databases at X-Force (44089), Tenable (50058), SecurityFocus (BID 30638†), OSVDB (47409†) and Secunia (SA31454†). The entries VDB-43677, VDB-43678, VDB-43676 and VDB-43675 are pretty similar. Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.

Productinfo

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CPE 2.3info

CPE 2.2info

CVSSv4info

VulDB Vector: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv3info

VulDB Meta Base Score: 10.0
VulDB Meta Temp Score: 9.0

VulDB Base Score: 10.0
VulDB Temp Score: 9.0
VulDB Vector: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv2info

AVACAuCIA
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VectorComplexityAuthenticationConfidentialityIntegrityAvailability
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VulDB Base Score: 🔍
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Exploitinginfo

Class: Input validation
CWE: CWE-20
CAPEC: 🔍
ATT&CK: 🔍

Physical: No
Local: No
Remote: Yes

Availability: 🔍
Status: Proof-of-Concept

EPSS Score: 🔍
EPSS Percentile: 🔍

Price Prediction: 🔍
Current Price Estimation: 🔍

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Nessus ID: 50058
Nessus Name: MS08-043 / MS08-051: Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Could Allow Remote Code Execution (954066 / 949785) (Mac OS X)
Nessus File: 🔍
Nessus Risk: 🔍
Nessus Family: 🔍
Nessus Context: 🔍

OpenVAS ID: 900028
OpenVAS Name: Microsoft Excel Could Allow Remote Code Execution Vulnerabilities (954066)
OpenVAS File: 🔍
OpenVAS Family: 🔍

Qualys ID: 🔍
Qualys Name: 🔍

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Interest: 🔍
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Countermeasuresinfo

Recommended: Patch
Status: 🔍

Reaction Time: 🔍
0-Day Time: 🔍
Exposure Time: 🔍
TippingPoint: 🔍

McAfee IPS: 🔍
McAfee IPS Version: 🔍

PaloAlto IPS: 🔍
Fortigate IPS: 🔍

Timelineinfo

06/07/1999 🔍
07/07/2008 +3318 days 🔍
08/12/2008 +36 days 🔍
08/12/2008 +0 days 🔍
08/12/2008 +0 days 🔍
08/12/2008 +0 days 🔍
08/12/2008 +0 days 🔍
08/12/2008 +0 days 🔍
08/12/2008 +0 days 🔍
08/12/2008 +0 days 🔍
08/13/2008 +1 days 🔍
10/20/2010 +798 days 🔍
03/17/2015 +1609 days 🔍
05/26/2025 +3723 days 🔍

Sourcesinfo

Vendor: microsoft.com

Advisory: us-cert.gov
Researcher: iDefense
Organization: VeriSign
Status: Confirmed

CVE: CVE-2008-3004 (🔍)
GCVE (CVE): GCVE-0-2008-3004
GCVE (VulDB): GCVE-100-43652

OVAL: 🔍

X-Force: 44089
SecurityFocus: 30638 - Microsoft Excel Indexing Validation Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Secunia: 31454 - Microsoft Office Excel Multiple Vulnerabilities, Highly Critical
OSVDB: 47409 - CVE-2008-3004 - MS08-043 - Microsoft - Excel - Code Execution Issue
SecurityTracker: 1020670
Vulnerability Center: 19141 - [MS08-043] Microsoft Office Excel Indexing Validation Vulnerability Allows Remote Code Execution, Medium
Vupen: ADV-2008-2347

See also: 🔍

Entryinfo

Created: 03/17/2015 12:19
Updated: 05/26/2025 23:33
Changes: 03/17/2015 12:19 (88), 08/15/2019 16:42 (5), 05/26/2025 23:33 (18)
Complete: 🔍
Cache ID: 216::103

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