Microsoft Security Bulletin MS10-036 - Important Vulnerability in COM Validation in Microsoft Office Could Allow Remote Code Execution (983235)

Microsoft Security Bulletin MS10-036 - Important
Vulnerability in COM Validation in Microsoft Office Could Allow Remote Code Execution (983235)
Published: June 08, 2010

Version: 1.0
General Information
Executive Summary

This security update resolves a privately reported vulnerability in COM validation in Microsoft Office. The vulnerability could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted Excel, Word, Visio, Publisher, or PowerPoint file with an affected version of Microsoft Office. 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.

This security update is rated Important for Microsoft Office 2003 and the 2007 Microsoft Office system. For more information, see the subsection, Affected and Non-Affected Software, in this section.

The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting the way that Microsoft Office validates COM objects to be instantiated. 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 at the earliest opportunity.

Known Issues. Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 983235 documents the currently known issues that customers may experience when installing this security update. The article also documents recommended solutions for these issues. When currently known issues and recommended solutions pertain only to specific releases of this software, this article provides links to further articles.
Top of sectionTop of section
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 XP

Microsoft Office XP Service Pack 3[1]

Not applicable

Remote Code Execution

Important

None
Microsoft Office 2003

Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 3
(KB982311)

Not applicable

Remote Code Execution

Important

MS08-055

Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 3

Microsoft Office Excel 2003 Service Pack 3[2]
(KB982133)

Remote Code Execution

Important

MS10-017

Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 3

Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003 Service Pack 3[2]
(KB982157)

Remote Code Execution

Important

MS10-004

Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 3

Microsoft Office Publisher 2003 Service Pack 3[2]
(KB982122)

Remote Code Execution

Important

MS10-023

Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 3

Microsoft Office Visio 2003 Service Pack 3[2]
(KB982126)

Remote Code Execution

Important

MS10-028

Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 3

Microsoft Office Word 2003 Service Pack 3[2]
(KB982134)

Remote Code Execution

Important

MS09-068
2007 Microsoft Office System

2007 Microsoft Office System Service Pack 1 and 2007 Microsoft Office System Service Pack 2
(KB982312)

Not applicable

Remote Code Execution

Important

MS08-055

2007 Microsoft Office System Service Pack 1 and 2007 Microsoft Office System Service Pack 2

Microsoft Office Excel 2007 Service Pack 1 and Microsoft Office Excel 2007 Service Pack 2[3]
(KB982308)

Remote Code Execution

Important

MS10-017

2007 Microsoft Office System Service Pack 1 and 2007 Microsoft Office System Service Pack 2

Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 Service Pack 1 and Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 Service Pack 2[3]
(KB982158)

Remote Code Execution

Important

MS09-017

2007 Microsoft Office System Service Pack 1 and 2007 Microsoft Office System Service Pack 2

Microsoft Office Publisher 2007 Service Pack 1 and Microsoft Office Publisher 2007 Service Pack 2[3]
(KB982124)

Remote Code Execution

Important

MS10-023

2007 Microsoft Office System Service Pack 1 and 2007 Microsoft Office System Service Pack 2

Microsoft Office Visio 2007 Service Pack 1 and Microsoft Office Visio 2007 Service Pack 2[3]
(KB982127)

Remote Code Execution

Important

MS10-028

2007 Microsoft Office System Service Pack 1 and 2007 Microsoft Office System Service Pack 2

Microsoft Office Word 2007 Service Pack 1 and Microsoft Office Word 2007 Service Pack 2[3]
(KB982135)

Remote Code Execution

Important

MS09-027

[1]No update available. For more information, see Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Related to This Security Update.

[2]In addition to this update, customers also need to install the update for Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 3 (KB982311) to be protected from the vulnerability described in this bulletin.

[3]In addition to this update, customers also need to install the update for 2007 Microsoft Office System Service Pack 1 and 2007 Microsoft Office System Service Pack 2 (KB982312) to be protected from the vulnerability described in this bulletin.

Non-Affected Software
Office and Other Software

Microsoft Office 2010 (32-bit editions)

Microsoft Office 2010 (64-bit editions)

Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac

Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac

Open XML File Format Converter for Mac

Microsoft Office Excel Viewer Service Pack 1 and Microsoft Office Excel Viewer Service Pack 2

Microsoft Office Word Viewer

PowerPoint Viewer 2007 Service Pack 1 and PowerPoint Viewer 2007 Service Pack 2

Microsoft Office Visio Viewer 2007 Service Pack 1 and Microsoft Office Visio Viewer 2007 Service Pack 2

Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats Service Pack 1 and Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats Service Pack 2

Office Converter Pack

Microsoft Office OneNote 2007 Service Pack 1 and Microsoft Office OneNote 2007 Service Pack 2
Top of sectionTop of section

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Related to This Security Update

Where are the file information details?
Refer to the reference tables in the Security Update Deployment section for the location of the file information details.

If Microsoft Office XP is listed as an affected product, why is Microsoft not issuing an update for it?
The architecture to properly support the fixes to correct validation does not exist on Microsoft Office XP, making it infeasible to build the fixes for Microsoft Office XP products to eliminate the vulnerability. To do so would require rearchitecting a very significant amount of the Microsoft Office XP products, not just the affected components. The product of such a rearchitecture effort could sufficiently introduce an incompatibility with other applications that there would be no assurance that these Microsoft Office products would continue to operate as designed on the updated system.

Microsoft is providing a Microsoft Fix it solution for users on Windows XP systems with Office XP installed. Although this is not a code fix in the Office products themselves, the Microsoft Fix it solution provides similar protections against the vulnerability described in this bulletin. Although the risk to application compatibility is minimized, Microsoft recommends that users test this Microsoft Fix it solution before widely distributing it. For the download location and additional details, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 983235.

Do the component updates also require installing the associated Microsoft Office 2003 or 2007 Microsoft Office System updates?
Yes, this security update does require the installation of the updates for Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 3 (KB982311) or 2007 Microsoft Office System Service Pack 1 and 2007 Microsoft Office System Service Pack 2 (KB982312) along with the associated updates for Excel, Word, Visio, Publisher, or PowerPoint listed in the affected software table, in order to be protected against the vulnerabilities described in this bulletin.

MS10-038 also describes vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office Excel. How does MS10-038 relate to this bulletin, MS10-036?
The security update packages for Microsoft Office Excel 2003 (KB982133) and Microsoft Office Excel 2007 (KB982308) in this bulletin, MS10-036, also address the vulnerabilities described in MS10-038. Users with Microsoft Office Excel 2003 or Microsoft Office Excel 2007 will only need to install these security update packages once. Users must also install the associated Microsoft Office update (KB982311 or KB982312) offered in this bulletin, in order to be protected from the vulnerability described in this bulletin, MS10-036.

Does this update contain any non-security related changes to functionality?
This update contains non-security related changes in functionality. For details, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 983632.

In addition to the changes that are listed in the Vulnerability Information section of this bulletin, this update includes a defense-in-depth change. This update includes a mitigation that helps prevent components and controls built using vulnerable versions of ATL from being exploited in the Microsoft Office products listed in the vulnerability information section of this bulletin. The new defense-in-depth protections offered in this update monitor and help prevent the successful exploitation of all known public and private library ATL vulnerabilities.

The mitigation addresses the ATL vulnerabilities described in Microsoft Security Advisory (973882) and MS09-035. The change is enabled by default for all affected platforms and will help block ATL vulnerabilities for controls loaded in Microsoft Office, including those not created by Microsoft.

What is defense-in-depth?
In information security, defense-in-depth refers to an approach in which multiple layers of defense are in place to help prevent attackers from compromising the security of a network or system.

The Office components discussed in this article are part of the Office Suite that I have installed on my system; however, I did not choose to install all of the specific components. Will I be offered all of the updates?
Yes, if the version of the Office Suite installed on your system shipped with the components discussed in this bulletin, the system will be offered updates for all of them whether the individual components are installed or not. The detection logic used to scan for affected systems is designed to check for updates for all components that shipped with the particular Office Suite and offer the updates to a system. Users who choose not to apply an update for a component that is not installed, but is included in their version of the Office Suite, will not increase the security risk of that system. On the other hand, users who do choose to install the update will not have a negative impact on the security or performance of a system.

Does the offer to update a non-vulnerable version of Microsoft Office constitute an issue in the Microsoft update mechanism?
No, the update mechanism is functioning correctly in that it detects a lower version of the files on the system than in the update package and thus, offers the update.

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. For more information about the product lifecycle, visit the Microsoft Support Lifecycle Web site.

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. To determine the support lifecycle for your software release, see Select a Product for Lifecycle Information. For more information about service packs for these software releases, see Lifecycle Supported Service Packs.

Customers who require custom support for older software 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 the Microsoft Worldwide Information Web site, select the country in the Contact Information list, 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 Microsoft Support Lifecycle Policy FAQ.
Top of sectionTop of section
Vulnerability Information

Severity Ratings and Vulnerability Identifiers

The following severity ratings assume the potential maximum impact of the vulnerability. For information regarding the likelihood, within 30 days of this security bulletin's release, of the exploitability of the vulnerability in relation to its severity rating and security impact, please see the Exploitability Index in the June bulletin summary. For more information, see Microsoft Exploitability Index.
Vulnerability Severity Rating and Maximum Security Impact by Affected Software
Affected Software COM Validation Vulnerability - CVE-2010-1263 Aggregate Severity Rating
Microsoft Office XP

Microsoft Office XP Service Pack 3

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important
Microsoft Office 2003

Microsoft Office Excel 2003 Service Pack 3

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important

Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003 Service Pack 3

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important

Microsoft Office Publisher 2003 Service Pack 3

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important

Microsoft Office Visio 2003 Service Pack 3

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important

Microsoft Office Word 2003 Service Pack 3

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important
2007 Microsoft Office System

Microsoft Office Excel 2007 Service Pack 1 and Microsoft Office Excel 2007 Service Pack 2

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important

Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 Service Pack 1 and Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 Service Pack 2

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important

Microsoft Office Publisher 2007 Service Pack 1 and Microsoft Office Publisher 2007 Service Pack 2

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important

Microsoft Office Visio 2007 Service Pack 1 and Microsoft Office Visio 2007 Service Pack 2

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important

Microsoft Office Word 2007 Service Pack 1 and Microsoft Office Word 2007 Service Pack 2

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important
Top of sectionTop of section

COM Validation Vulnerability - CVE-2010-1263

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that affected Microsoft Office software validates COM object instantiation. 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. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less affected than users who operate with administrative user rights.

To view this vulnerability as a standard entry in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list, see CVE-2010-1263.

Mitigating Factors for COM Validation Vulnerability - CVE-2010-1263

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:
•

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.
•

In a Web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a Web site that contains a Web page that is used to exploit this vulnerability. In addition, compromised Web sites and Web sites that accept or host user-provided content or advertisements could contain specially crafted content that could exploit this vulnerability. In all cases, however, an attacker would have no way to force users to visit these Web sites. Instead, an attacker would have to convince users to visit the Web site, typically by getting them to click a link in an e-mail message or Instant Messenger message that takes users to the attacker’s Web site.
•

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.
•

Users of Microsoft Office 2002 and later versions will be prompted with Open, Save, or Cancel before opening a document. This is a mitigating factor because the vulnerability requires more than a single user action to complete the exploit.
Top of sectionTop of section

Workarounds for COM Validation Vulnerability - CVE-2010-1263

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:
•

Do not open or save Microsoft Office files that you receive from untrusted sources or that you receive unexpectedly from trusted sources. This vulnerability could be exploited when a user opens a specially crafted file.
Top of sectionTop of section

FAQ for COM Validation Vulnerability - CVE-2010-1263

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; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.

What causes the vulnerability?
Microsoft Office inadequately validates COM objects when instantiated in the individual applications of Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Visio, and Word.

What is COM?
Microsoft COM (Component Object Model) technology in the Microsoft Windows Operating System enables software components to communicate. COM is used by developers to create re-usable software components, link components together to build applications, and take advantage of Windows services. For more information on COM, see the Microsoft article, What is COM?

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, PowerPoint, Publisher, Visio, or Word file with an affected version of Microsoft Office.

In an e-mail attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted Microsoft Office 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 a specially crafted Microsoft 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 Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Visio, and Word are 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 corrects the way that Microsoft Office validates the COM objects to be instantiated.

When this security bulletin was issued, had this vulnerability been publicly disclosed?
No. Microsoft received information about this vulnerability through responsible disclosure.

When this security bulletin was issued, had Microsoft received any reports that this vulnerability was being exploited?
No. Microsoft had not received any 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:
•

David Dewey of IBM ISS X-Force and Ryan Smith of Accuvant, formerly of VeriSign iDefense Labs, for working with us on the defense-in-depth changes addressed in this bulletin
Top of sectionTop of section
Microsoft Active Protections Program (MAPP)

To improve security protections for customers, Microsoft provides vulnerability information to major security software providers in advance of each monthly security update release. Security software providers can then use this vulnerability information to provide updated protections to customers via their security software or devices, such as antivirus, network-based intrusion detection systems, or host-based intrusion prevention systems. To determine whether active protections are available from security software providers, please visit the active protections Web sites provided by program partners, listed in Microsoft Active Protections Program (MAPP) Partners.

Support
•

Customers in the U.S. and Canada can receive technical support from Security Support or 1-866-PCSAFETY. There is no charge for support calls that are associated with security updates. For more information about available support options, see Microsoft Help and Support.
•

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 (June 8, 2010): Bulletin published.