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HistoryOct 14, 2008 - 12:00 a.m.

Microsoft Security Bulletin MS08-057 – Critical Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Excel Could Allow Remote Code Execution (956416)

2008-10-1400:00:00
vulners.com
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Microsoft Security Bulletin MS08-057 – Critical
Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Excel Could Allow Remote Code Execution (956416)
Published: October 14, 2008

Version: 1.0
General Information
Executive Summary

This security update resolves three privately reported vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office Excel that could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted Excel file. An attacker who successfully exploited these vulnerabilities could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.

This security update is rated Critical for all supported editions of Microsoft Office Excel 2000 and rated Important for all supported editions of Microsoft Office Excel 2002, Microsoft Office Excel 2003, Microsoft Office Excel Viewer 2003, Microsoft Office Excel 2007, Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack , Microsoft Office Excel Viewer, and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007. For more information, see the subsection, Affected and Non-Affected Software, in this section.

This security update addresses these vulnerabilities by modifying the way that Microsoft Excel performs validations when opening Excel files. For more information about the vulnerability, see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) subsection for the specific vulnerability entry under the next section, Vulnerability Information.

Recommendation. Microsoft recommends that customers apply the update immediately.

Known Issues. None
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Affected and Non-Affected Software

The following software have been tested to determine which versions or editions are affected. Other versions or editions are either past their support life cycle or are not affected. To determine the support life cycle for your software version or edition, visit Microsoft Support Lifecycle.

Affected Software
Office Suite and Other Software Component Maximum Security Impact Aggregate Severity Rating Bulletins Replaced by this Update

Microsoft Office 2000 Service Pack 3

Excel 2000 Service Pack 3
(KB955461)

Remote Code Execution

Critical

MS08-043

Microsoft Office XP Service Pack 3

Excel 2002 Service Pack 3
(KB955464)

Remote Code Execution

Important

MS08-043

Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 2

Excel 2003 Service Pack 2
(KB955466)

Remote Code Execution

Important

MS08-043

Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 3

Excel 2003 Service Pack 3
(KB955466)

Remote Code Execution

Important

MS08-043

2007 Microsoft Office System

Excel 2007
(KB955470)

Remote Code Execution

Important

MS08-043

2007 Microsoft Office System Service Pack 1

Excel 2007 Service Pack 1
(KB955470)

Remote Code Execution

Important

MS08-043

Microsoft Office Excel Viewer 2003
(KB955468)

Remote Code Execution

Important

MS08-043

Microsoft Office Excel Viewer 2003 Service Pack 3
(KB955468)

Remote Code Execution

Important

MS08-043

Microsoft Office Excel Viewer
(KB955935)

Remote Code Execution

Important

MS08-043

Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats
(KB955936)

Remote Code Execution

Important

MS08-043

Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats Service Pack 1
(KB955936)

Remote Code Execution

Important

MS08-043

Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007*
(KB955937)

Remote Code Execution

Important

MS08-043

Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Service Pack 1*
(KB955937)

Remote Code Execution

Important

MS08-043

Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 x64 Edition*
(KB955937)

Remote Code Execution

Important

MS08-043

Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 x64 Edition Service Pack 1*
(KB955937)

Remote Code Execution

Important

MS08-043

Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac
(KB958312)

Remote Code Execution

Important

MS08-043

Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac
(KB958267)

Remote Code Execution

Important

MS08-043

Open XML File Format Converter for Mac
(KB958304)

Remote Code Execution

Important

None

*This update applies to servers that have Excel Services installed, such as the default configuration of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Enterprise and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 For Internet Sites. Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Standard does not include Excel Services.

Non-Affected Software
Office and Other Software

Microsoft Works 8.0

Microsoft Works 8.5

Microsoft Works 9.0

Microsoft Works Suite 2005

Microsoft Works Suite 2006

Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2003 Service Pack 3
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Related to This Security Update

Where are the file information details?
The file information details can be found in Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 956416.

Why does this update address several reported security vulnerabilities?
This update contains support for several vulnerabilities because the modifications that are required to address these issues are located in related files. Instead of having to install several updates that are almost the same, customers need to install this update only.

What is the Microsoft Office Excel Viewer?
The Microsoft Office Excel Viewer is a replacement for all previous Excel Viewer versions, including Excel Viewer 97 and Excel Viewer 2003. With Excel Viewer, you can open, view, and print Excel workbooks, even if you don't have Excel installed. You can also copy data from Excel Viewer to another program. However, you cannot edit data, save a workbook, or create a new workbook.

Why is Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 affected?
Excel Services in Microsoft Office SharePoint Server uses code that is based on the Excel client which is affected by vulnerabilities as detailed in the Vulnerability Information section of this bulletin.

Note There are three components to Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007: Microsoft Office SharePoint Server core components, Excel Services, and InfoPath Forms Services. This update impacts the Excel Services component of Microsoft Office SharePoint Sever 2007

What components of the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats are updated by this bulletin?
The update included with this security bulletin applies only to the specific component within the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats that is affected. For example, in an Excel bulletin, only the Excel compatibility pack component files are included in the update packages and not Word or PowerPoint compatibility pack component files. Word compatibility pack component files are updated in a Word bulletin and PowerPoint compatibility pack component files are updated in a PowerPoint bulletin.

I am using an older release of the software discussed in this security bulletin. What should I do?
The affected software listed in this bulletin have been tested to determine which releases are affected. Other releases are past their support life cycle. To determine the support life cycle for your software release, visit Microsoft Support Lifecycle.

It should be a priority for customers who have older releases of the software to migrate to supported releases to prevent potential exposure to vulnerabilities. For more information about the Windows Product Lifecycle, visit Microsoft Support Lifecycle. For more information about the extended security update support period for these software versions or editions, visit Microsoft Product Support Services.

Customers who require custom support for older releases must contact their Microsoft account team representative, their Technical Account Manager, or the appropriate Microsoft partner representative for custom support options. Customers without an Alliance, Premier, or Authorized Contract can contact their local Microsoft sales office. For contact information, visit Microsoft Worldwide Information, select the country, and then click Go to see a list of telephone numbers. When you call, ask to speak with the local Premier Support sales manager. For more information, see the Windows Operating System Product Support Lifecycle FAQ.
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Vulnerability Information

Severity Ratings and Vulnerability Identifiers
Vulnerability Severity Rating and Maximum Security Impact by Affected Software
Affected Software Calendar Object Validation Vulnerability - CVE-2008-3477 File Format Parsing Vulnerability - CVE-2008-3471 Formula Parsing Vulnerability - CVE-2008-4019 Aggregate Severity Rating

Excel 2000 Service Pack 3

Critical
Remote Code Execution

Critical
Remote Code Execution

Critical
Remote Code Execution

Critical

Excel 2002 Service Pack 3

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important

Excel 2003 Service Pack 2

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important

Excel 2003 Service Pack 3

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important

Excel 2007

None

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important

Excel 2007 Service Pack 1

None

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important

Microsoft Office Excel Viewer 2003

None

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important

Microsoft Office Excel Viewer 2003 Service Pack 3

None

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important

Microsoft Office Excel Viewer

None

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important

Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats

None

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important

Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats Service Pack 1

None

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important

Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007

None

None

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important

Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Service Pack 1

None

None

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important

Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 x64 Edition

None

None

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important

Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 x64 Edition Service Pack 1

None

None

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important

Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac

None

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important

Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac

None

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important

Open XML File Format Converter for Mac

None

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important
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Calendar Object Validation Vulnerability - CVE-2008-3477

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way Excel processes a VBA Performance Cache. The vulnerability could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted Excel file in a VBA Performance Cache. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.

To view this vulnerability as a standard entry in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list, see CVE-2008-3477.

Mitigating Factors for Calendar Object Validation Vulnerability - CVE-2008-3477

Mitigation refers to a setting, common configuration, or general best-practice, existing in a default state, that could reduce the severity of exploitation of a vulnerability. The following mitigating factors may be helpful in your situation:

An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the local user. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.

The vulnerability cannot be exploited automatically through e-mail. For an attack to be successful, a user must open an attachment that is sent in an e-mail message.

Users who have installed and are using the Office Document Open Confirmation Tool for Office 2000 will be prompted with Open, Save, or Cancel before opening a document. The features of the Office Document Open Confirmation Tool are incorporated in Office XP and later editions of Office.
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Workarounds for Calendar Object Validation Vulnerability - CVE-2008-3477

Workaround refers to a setting or configuration change that does not correct the underlying vulnerability but would help block known attack vectors before you apply the update. Microsoft has tested the following workarounds and states in the discussion whether a workaround reduces functionality:

Use the Microsoft Office Isolated Conversion Environment (MOICE) when opening files from unknown or un-trusted sources

The Microsoft Office Isolated Conversion Environment (MOICE) will protect Office 2003 installations by more securely opening Word, Excel, and PowerPoint binary format files.

To install MOICE, you must have Office 2003 or 2007 Office system installed.

To install MOICE, you must have the Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats. The compatibility pack is available as a free download from the Microsoft Download Center:

Download the FileFormatConverters.exe package now

MOICE requires all updates that are recommended for all Office programs. Visit Microsoft Update to install all recommended updates:

http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us

To enable MOICE, change the registered handler for the .xls, .xlt, and .xla file formats. The following table describes the command to enable or to disable MOICE for the .xls, .xlt, and .xla file formats:
Command to use to enable MOICE to be the registered handler Command to use to disable MOICE as the registered handler

ASSOC .XLS=oice.excel.sheet

ASSOC .xls=Excel.Sheet.8

ASSOC .XLT=oice.excel.template

ASSOC .xlt=Excel.Template

ASSOC .XLA=oice.excel.addin

ASSOC .xla=Excel.Addin

Note On Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 the commands above will need to be run from an elevated command prompt.

For more information on MOICE, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 935865.

Impact of Workaround: Office 2003 and earlier formatted documents that are converted to the 2007 Microsoft Office System Open XML format by MOICE will not retain macro functionality. Additionally, documents with passwords or that are protected with Digital Rights Management cannot be converted.

Use Microsoft Office File Block policy to block the opening of Office 2003 and earlier documents from unknown or untrusted sources and locations

The following registry scripts can be used to set the File Block policy.

Note Modifying the Registry incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from incorrect modification of the Registry can be solved. Modify the Registry at your own risk.

For Office 2003

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Excel\Security\FileOpenBlock]

"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000001

Note In order to use 'FileOpenBlock' with Office 2003, all of the latest Office 2003 security updates must be applied.

Impact of Workaround: Users who have configured the File Block policy and have not configured a special “exempt directory” as discussed in Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 922848 will be unable to open Office 2003 files or earlier versions in Office 2003 or 2007 Microsoft Office System.

For 2007 Office system

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel\Security\FileOpenBlock]

"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000001

Note In order to use 'FileOpenBlock' with the 2007 Microsoft Office system, all of the latest security updates for the 2007 Microsoft Office system must be applied.

Impact of Workaround: Users who have configured the File Block policy and have not configured a special “exempt directory” as discussed in Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 922848 will be unable to open Office 2003 files or earlier versions in Office 2003 or 2007 Microsoft Office System.

How to Undo the Workaround:

For Office 2003

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Excel\Security\FileOpenBlock]

"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000000

For 2007 Office system

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel\Security\FileOpenBlock]

"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000000

Modify Access Control List (ACL) on VBE6.DLL to deny access to the Everyone group

For Windows 2000 and Windows XP

To modify the Access Control List (ACL) on VBE6.DLL to be more restrictive, follow these steps:

Log on as a user with administrator privileges.

Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.

Document the current ACLs that are on the file (including inheritance settings) for future reference in case you have to undo this modification. To view the ACLs, type the following:

cacls "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\VBA\VBA6\vbe6.dll"

To deny the "everyone" group access to the file, type the following command at the command prompt:

echo y| cacls "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\VBA\VBA6\vbe6.dll" /E /P everyone:N

For Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008

To modify the Access Control List (ACL) on VBE6.DLL to be more restrictive, follow these steps:

Log on as a user with administrator privileges.

Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.

Document the current ACLs that are on the file (including inheritance settings) for future reference in case you have to undo this modification. To view the ACLs, type the following:

cacls "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\VBA\VBA6\vbe6.dll"

To deny the "everyone" group access to the file, type the following command at the command prompt:

takeown /f "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\VBA\VBA6\vbe6.dll"
icacls "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\VBA\VBA6\vbe6.dll" /save %TEMP%\VBE6_ACL.TXT
icacls "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\VBA\VBA6\vbe6.dll" /deny everyone:(F)

Impact of Workaround: Embedded ActiveX controls will not run in Office documents. Users will be unable to insert Objects into documents.

How to Undo the Workaround:

For Windows 2000 and Windows XP

Type the following command at the command prompt:

echo y| cacls "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\VBA\VBA6\vbe6.dll" /E /R everyone

For Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008

Type the following command at the command prompt as an administrator:

icacls "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\VBA\VBA6\vbe6.dll" /restore %TEMP%\VBE6_ACL.TXT
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FAQ for Calendar Object Validation Vulnerability - CVE-2008-3477

What is the scope of the vulnerability?
This is a remote code execution vulnerability. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs or view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.

What causes the vulnerability?
Excel does not perform sufficient validation of data in the VBA Performance Cache.

What might an attacker use the vulnerability to do?
An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code as the logged-on user. If a user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker could take complete control of the affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.

How could an attacker exploit the vulnerability?
This vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted Excel file with an affected version of Microsoft Excel.

In an e-mail attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a malformed Excel file to the user and by convincing the user to open the file.

In a Web-based attack scenario, an attacker would have to host a Web site that contains an Office file that is used to attempt to exploit this vulnerability. In addition, compromised Web sites and Web sites that accept or host user-provided content could contain specially crafted content that could exploit this vulnerability. An attacker would have no way to force users to visit a specially crafted Web site. Instead, an attacker would have to convince users to visit the Web site, typically by getting them to click a link that takes them to the attacker's site.

What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?
Systems where the affect software is used, including workstations and terminal servers, are primarily at risk. Servers could be at more risk if administrators allow users to log on to servers and to run programs. However, best practices strongly discourage allowing this.

What does the update do?
This update modifies the way Excel handles loading of the VBA Performance Cache with ActiveX controls.

When this security bulletin was issued, had this vulnerability been publicly disclosed?
No. Microsoft received information about this vulnerability through responsible disclosure. Microsoft had not received any information to indicate that this vulnerability had been publicly disclosed when this security bulletin was originally issued. This security bulletin addresses the privately disclosed vulnerability as well as additional issues discovered through internal investigations.

When this security bulletin was issued, had Microsoft received any reports that this vulnerability was being exploited?
No. Microsoft had not received information to indicate that this vulnerability had been publicly used to attack customers and had not seen any examples of proof of concept code published when this security bulletin was originally issued.
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File Format Parsing Vulnerability - CVE-2008-3471

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel as a result of improper memory allocation when loading Excel objects. The vulnerability could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted Excel file that includes a malformed object. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.

To view this vulnerability as a standard entry in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list, see CVE-2008-3471.

Mitigating Factors for File Format Parsing Vulnerability - CVE-2008-3471

Mitigation refers to a setting, common configuration, or general best-practice, existing in a default state, that could reduce the severity of exploitation of a vulnerability. The following mitigating factors may be helpful in your situation:

An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the local user. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.

The vulnerability cannot be exploited automatically through e-mail. For an attack to be successful, a user must open an attachment that is sent in an e-mail message.

Users who have installed and are using the Office Document Open Confirmation Tool for Office 2000 will be prompted with Open, Save, or Cancel before opening a document. The features of the Office Document Open Confirmation Tool are incorporated in Office XP and later editions of Office.
Top of sectionTop of section

Workarounds for File Format Parsing Vulnerability - CVE-2008-3471

Workaround refers to a setting or configuration change that does not correct the underlying vulnerability but would help block known attack vectors before you apply the update. Microsoft has tested the following workarounds and states in the discussion whether a workaround reduces functionality:

Use the Microsoft Office Isolated Conversion Environment (MOICE) when opening files from unknown or un-trusted sources

The Microsoft Office Isolated Conversion Environment (MOICE) will protect Office 2003 installations by more securely opening Word, Excel, and PowerPoint binary format files.

To install MOICE, you must have Office 2003 or 2007 Office system installed.

To install MOICE, you must have the Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats. The compatibility pack is available as a free download from the Microsoft Download Center:

Download the FileFormatConverters.exe package now

MOICE requires all updates that are recommended for all Office programs. Visit Microsoft Update to install all recommended updates:

http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us

To enable MOICE, change the registered handler for the .xls, .xlt, and .xla file formats. The following table describes the command to enable or to disable MOICE for the .xls, .xlt, and .xla file formats:
Command to use to enable MOICE to be the registered handler Command to use to disable MOICE as the registered handler

ASSOC .XLS=oice.excel.sheet

ASSOC .xls=Excel.Sheet.8

ASSOC .XLT=oice.excel.template

ASSOC .xlt=Excel.Template

ASSOC .XLA=oice.excel.addin

ASSOC .xla=Excel.Addin

Note On Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 the commands above will need to be run from an elevated command prompt.

For more information on MOICE, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 935865.

Impact of Workaround: Office 2003 and earlier formatted documents that are converted to the 2007 Microsoft Office System Open XML format by MOICE will not retain macro functionality. Additionally, documents with passwords or that are protected with Digital Rights Management cannot be converted.

Use Microsoft Office File Block policy to block the opening of Office 2003 and earlier documents from unknown or untrusted sources and locations

The following registry scripts can be used to set the File Block policy.

Note Modifying the Registry incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from incorrect modification of the Registry can be solved. Modify the Registry at your own risk.

For Office 2003

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Excel\Security\FileOpenBlock]

"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000001

Note In order to use 'FileOpenBlock' with Office 2003, all of the latest Office 2003 security updates must be applied.

Impact of Workaround: Users who have configured the File Block policy and have not configured a special “exempt directory” as discussed in Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 922848 will be unable to open Office 2003 files or earlier versions in Office 2003 or 2007 Microsoft Office System.

For 2007 Office system

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel\Security\FileOpenBlock]

"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000001

Note In order to use 'FileOpenBlock' with the 2007 Microsoft Office system, all of the latest security updates for the 2007 Microsoft Office system must be applied.

Impact of Workaround: Users who have configured the File Block policy and have not configured a special “exempt directory” as discussed in Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 922848 will be unable to open Office 2003 files or earlier versions in Office 2003 or 2007 Microsoft Office System.

How to Undo the Workaround:

For Office 2003

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Excel\Security\FileOpenBlock]

"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000000

For 2007 Office system

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel\Security\FileOpenBlock]

"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000000
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FAQ for File Format Parsing Vulnerability - CVE-2008-3471

What is the scope of the vulnerability?
This is a remote code execution vulnerability. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system remotely. An attacker could then install programs or view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.

What causes the vulnerability?
A vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel that allows an attacker to execute remote code when opening a specially crafted attacker-supplied Excel spreadsheet. The specific flaw exists in the way Microsoft Excel parses the Excel spreadsheet file format.

What might an attacker use the vulnerability to do?
An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code as the logged-on user. If a user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker could take complete control of the affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.

How could an attacker exploit the vulnerability?
This vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted Excel spreadsheet with an affected version of Microsoft Excel.

In an e-mail attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a malformed Excel file to the user and by convincing the user to open the file.

In a Web-based attack scenario, an attacker would have to host a Web site that contains an Office file that is used to attempt to exploit this vulnerability. In addition, compromised Web sites and Web sites that accept or host user-provided content could contain specially crafted content that could exploit this vulnerability. An attacker would have no way to force users to visit a specially crafted Web site. Instead, an attacker would have to convince them to visit the Web site, typically by getting them to click a link that takes them to the attacker's site.

What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?
Systems where the affect software is used, including workstations and terminal servers, are primarily at risk. Servers could be at more risk if administrators allow users to log on to servers and to run programs. However, best practices strongly discourage allowing this.

What does the update do?
The update removes the vulnerability by modifying the way that Microsoft Excel handles BIFF files.

When this security bulletin was issued, had this vulnerability been publicly disclosed?
No. Microsoft received information about this vulnerability through responsible disclosure. Microsoft had not received any information to indicate that this vulnerability had been publicly disclosed when this security bulletin was originally issued. This security bulletin addresses the privately disclosed vulnerability as well as additional issues discovered through internal investigations.

When this security bulletin was issued, had Microsoft received any reports that this vulnerability was being exploited?
No. Microsoft had not received information to indicate that this vulnerability had been publicly used to attack customers and had not seen any examples of proof of concept code published when this security bulletin was originally issued.
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Formula Parsing Vulnerability - CVE-2008-4019

The specific flaw exists when parsing Microsoft Excel documents containing a specially crafted formula embedded inside a cell. This can result in a remote compromise of the system under the context of the currently logged in user.

To view this vulnerability as a standard entry in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list, see CVE-2008-4019.

Mitigating Factors for Formula Parsing Vulnerability - CVE-2008-4019

Mitigation refers to a setting, common configuration, or general best-practice, existing in a default state, that could reduce the severity of exploitation of a vulnerability. The following mitigating factors may be helpful in your situation:

An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the local user. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.

The vulnerability cannot be exploited automatically through e-mail. For an attack to be successful, a user must open an attachment that is sent in an e-mail message.

Users who have installed and are using the Office Document Open Confirmation Tool for Office 2000 will be prompted with Open, Save, or Cancel before opening a document. The features of the Office Document Open Confirmation Tool are incorporated in Office XP and later editions of Office.
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Workarounds for Formula Parsing Vulnerability - CVE-2008-4019

Microsoft has not identified any workarounds for this vulnerability.
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FAQ for Formula Parsing Vulnerability - CVE-2008-4019

What is the scope of the vulnerability?
This is a remote code execution vulnerability. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system remotely. An attacker could then install programs or view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.

What causes the vulnerability?
Excel REPT function allows for an integer overflow of the maximum cell length causing an exploitable condition.

What might an attacker use the vulnerability to do?
An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code as the logged-on user. If a user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker could take complete control of the affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.

How could an attacker exploit the vulnerability?
This vulnerability requires that a user open a specially-crafted Excel file with an affected version of Microsoft Excel.

In an e-mail attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a malformed Excel file to the user and by convincing the user to open the file.

In a Web-based attack scenario, an attacker would have to host a Web site that contains an Office file that is used to attempt to exploit this vulnerability. In addition, compromised Web sites and Web sites that accept or host user-provided content could contain specially crafted content that could exploit this vulnerability. An attacker would have no way to force users to visit a specially crafted Web site. Instead, an attacker would have to convince users to visit the Web site, typically by getting them to click a link that takes them to the attacker's site.

What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?
Systems where Microsoft Excel used, including workstations and terminal servers, are primarily at risk. Servers could be at more risk if administrators allow users to log on to servers and to run programs. However, best practices strongly discourage allowing this.

What does the update do?
This update removes the integer overflow when loading Excel files into memory.

When this security bulletin was issued, had this vulnerability been publicly disclosed?
No. Microsoft received information about this vulnerability through responsible disclosure. Microsoft had not received any information to indicate that this vulnerability had been publicly disclosed when this security bulletin was originally issued. This security bulletin addresses the privately disclosed vulnerability as well as additional issues discovered through internal investigations.

When this security bulletin was issued, had Microsoft received any reports that this vulnerability was being exploited?
No. Microsoft had not received information to indicate that this vulnerability had been publicly used to attack customers and had not seen any examples of proof of concept code published when this security bulletin was originally issued.

Other Information
Acknowledgments

Microsoft thanks the following for working with us to help protect customers:

Wushi, working with TippingPoint and the Zero Day Initiative, for reporting the File Format Parsing Vulnerability (CVE-2008-3471).

Lionel d'Hauenens of Labo Skopia working with the iDefense VCP for reporting the Calendar Object Validation Vulnerability (CVE-2008-3477).

Joshua J. Drake of iDefense for reporting the Calendar Object Validation Vulnerability (CVE-2008-3477).

Support

Customers in the U.S. and Canada can receive technical support from Microsoft Product Support Services at 1-866-PCSAFETY. There is no charge for support calls that are associated with security updates.

International customers can receive support from their local Microsoft subsidiaries. There is no charge for support that is associated with security updates. For more information about how to contact Microsoft for support issues, visit the International Support Web site.

Disclaimer

The information provided in the Microsoft Knowledge Base is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. Microsoft disclaims all warranties, either express or implied, including the warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. In no event shall Microsoft Corporation or its suppliers be liable for any damages whatsoever including direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, loss of business profits or special damages, even if Microsoft Corporation or its suppliers have been advised of the possibility of such damages. Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages so the foregoing limitation may not apply.

Revisions

V1.0 (October 14, 2008): Bulletin published.