Microsoft Security Bulletin MS10-088 - Important Vulnerabilities in Microsoft PowerPoint Could Allow Remote Code Execution (2293386)

Microsoft Security Bulletin MS10-088 - Important
Vulnerabilities in Microsoft PowerPoint Could Allow Remote Code Execution (2293386)
Published: November 09, 2010

Version: 1.0
General Information
Executive Summary

This security update resolves two privately reported vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office that could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted PowerPoint file. An attacker who successfully exploited any of 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 Important for supported editions of Microsoft PowerPoint 2002, Microsoft PowerPoint 2003, and Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac; and all supported versions of Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer. For more information, see the subsection, Affected and Non-Affected Software, in this section.

The update addresses the vulnerabilities by changing the way that Microsoft PowerPoint parses specially crafted PowerPoint 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 at the earliest opportunity.

Known Issues. Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2293386 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.
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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
Microsoft Office Suite and Other Software Component Maximum Security Impact Aggregate Severity Rating Bulletins Replaced by this Update
Microsoft Office Suites and Components

Microsoft Office XP Service Pack 3

Microsoft PowerPoint 2002 Service Pack 3
(KB2413272)

Remote Code Execution

Important

MS10-004

Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 3

Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 Service Pack 3
(KB2413304)

Remote Code Execution

Important

MS10-036
Microsoft Office for Mac

Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac[1]

Not applicable

Remote Code Execution

Important

None
Other Microsoft Office Software

Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer Service Pack 2
(KB2413381)

Not applicable

Remote Code Execution

Important

MS09-017

[1]The security update for Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac is unavailable at this time.

Non-Affected Software
Office and Other Software

Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 Service Pack 2

Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 (32-bit editions)

Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 (64-bit editions)

Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac

Microsoft Office for Mac 2011

Open XML File Format Converter for Mac

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

Microsoft Works 9
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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.

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.

Where is the update for Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac?
A security update for Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac is unavailable at this time. Microsoft will issue an update for this software when testing is complete, to ensure a high degree of quality for its release.

I have Microsoft PowerPoint 2007, which is not affected by the vulnerabilities described in this bulletin. Why am I being offered this update?
Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 is not affected by the vulnerabilities described in this bulletin; however, the vulnerable Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer is delivered with Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 and will be offered this security update.

What is the PowerPoint Viewer?
Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer lets you view full-featured presentations created in Microsoft PowerPoint 97 and later versions. For more details about currently supported Office viewers, see Supported versions of the Office viewers.

Only the latest version of an Office Viewer is supported. Why is the PowerPoint Viewer 2007 offered this update?
Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer 2007 Service Pack 2 is effectively the same as Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer Service Pack 2. Only the name is different. Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer 2007 Service Pack 2 is affected with the same severity rating as an installation of Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer Service Pack 2 and will be offered the update.

I use the "Package a Presentation for CD" feature. How can I help ensure my presentations are protected from the vulnerabilities described in this bulletin?
After applying this security update to affected software, customers running supported editions of Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 and Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 can issue updated versions of their presentations created using the Package a Presentation for CD feature in PowerPoint to help ensure that the PowerPoint Viewer included in their presentations is protected from the vulnerabilities described in this bulletin.

Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 presentations created using the Package a Presentation for CD feature do not include the PowerPoint Viewer.

How are Microsoft Office standalone programs affected by the vulnerabilities?
A Microsoft Office standalone program is affected with the same severity rating as the corresponding component in a Microsoft Office Suite. For example, a standalone installation of Microsoft PowerPoint is affected with the same severity rating as an installation of Microsoft PowerPoint that was delivered with a Microsoft Office Suite.

The Microsoft Office component discussed in this article is part of the Microsoft Office Suite that I have installed on my system; however, I did not choose to install this specific component. Will I be offered this update?
Yes, if the component discussed in this bulletin was delivered with the version of the Microsoft Office Suite installed on your system, the system will be offered updates for it whether the component is installed or not. The detection logic used to scan for affected systems is designed to check for updates for all components that were delivered with the particular Microsoft Office Suite and to offer the updates to a system. Users who choose not to apply an update for a component that is not installed, but is delivered with their version of the Microsoft 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.
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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 November bulletin summary. For more information, see Microsoft Exploitability Index.
Vulnerability Severity Rating and Maximum Security Impact by Affected Software
Affected Software PowerPoint Parsing Buffer Overflow Vulnerability - CVE-2010-2572 PowerPoint Integer Underflow Causes Heap Corruption Vulnerability - CVE-2010-2573 Aggregate Severity Rating
Microsoft Office Suites and Components

Microsoft PowerPoint 2002 Service Pack 3

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important

Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 Service Pack 3

Moderate
Remote Code Execution

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important
Microsoft Office for Mac

Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac

Not applicable

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important
Other Microsoft Office Software

Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer Service Pack 2

Not applicable

Important
Remote Code Execution

Important
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PowerPoint Parsing Buffer Overflow Vulnerability - CVE-2010-2572

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft PowerPoint handles specially crafted PowerPoint 95 files. 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-2010-2572.

Mitigating Factors for PowerPoint Parsing Buffer Overflow Vulnerability - CVE-2010-2572

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.
•

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.
•

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, and then convince them to open the specially crafted PowerPoint file.
•

By default, the opening of PowerPoint 95 files is blocked in Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 Service Pack 3. For more information about file types that are blocked after installing Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 3, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 938810.
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Workarounds for PowerPoint Parsing Buffer Overflow Vulnerability - CVE-2010-2572

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:
•

Restrict access to pp7x32.dll for users of Microsoft PowerPoint 2002

Note You will need administrator privileges to set these file restrictions.

Windows XP and Windows XP Professional x64 Edition

For PowerPoint 2002 on Windows XP, run the following commands from a command prompt as an administrator:

cacls "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\Xlators\PP7X32.DLL" /E /P everyone:N

For PowerPoint 2002 on Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, run the following commands from a command prompt as an administrator:

cacls "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office10\Xlators\PP7X32.DLL" /E /P everyone:N

Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2

For PowerPoint 2002 on 32-bit editions of Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2, run the following commands from an elevated command prompt:

takeown /f "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\Xlators\PP7X32.DLL"

icacls "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\Xlators\PP7X32.DLL" /save %TEMP%\PP7X32_ACL.TXT

icacls "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\Xlators\PP7X32.DLL" /deny everyone:(F)

For PowerPoint 2002 on 64-bit editions of Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2, run the following commands from an elevated command prompt:

takeown /f "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office (x86)\Office10\Xlators\PP7X32.DLL"

icacls "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office10\Xlators\PP7X32.DLL /save %TEMP%\PP7X32_ACL.TXT"

icacls "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office10\Xlators\PP7X32.DLL" /deny everyone:(F)

Impact of Workaround. You will not be able to open PowerPoint 95 formatted files.

How to Undo the Workaround:

For PowerPoint 2002 on Windows XP, run the following commands from a command prompt as an administrator:

Click Start, and then click Run.

In the Run box enter:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\Xlators

Right-click PP7X32.DLL and select Properties.

Click the Security tab.

Note If no Security tab is present in the Properties dialog box, follow the steps in Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 307874 under the section, "How to Turn Off Simple File Sharing," to view the Security tab.

Click Advanced.

Click the Owner tab.

Select Administrators from the Change Owner To list. Click OK to save changes.

Run the following command from a command prompt.

echo y| cacls "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\Xlators\PP7X32.DLL" /E /R everyone

For PowerPoint 2002 on Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, run the following commands from a command prompt as an administrator:

Click Start, and then click Run.

In the Run box enter:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office10\Xlators

Right-click PP7X32.DLL and select Properties.

Click the Security tab.

Note If no Security tab is present in the Properties dialog box, follow the steps in Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 307874 under the section, "How to Turn Off Simple File Sharing," to view the Security tab.

Click Advanced.

Click the Owner tab.

Select Administrators from the Change Owner To list. Click OK to save changes.

Run the following command from a command prompt.

echo y| cacls "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office (x86)\Office10\Xlators\PP7X32.DLL" /E /R everyone

For PowerPoint 2002 on 32-bit editions of Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2, run the following commands from an elevated command prompt:

icacls /restore %TEMP%\PP7X32_ACL.TXT

For PowerPoint 2002 on 64-bit editions of Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2, run the following commands from an elevated command prompt:

icacls /restore %TEMP%\PP7X32_ACL.TXT
•

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\PowerPoint\Security\FileOpenBlock]

"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000001

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

Alternatively, file block can be applied using Group Policy. For more information, see the TechNet article, Plan file block settings for Office 2010.

Impact of workaround. For Microsoft Office 2003 and Microsoft Office 2007, 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. For Microsoft Office 2007, Office 2003 or earlier versions will either be blocked from opening or will be opened in protected mode depending on the open behavior that was selected.

How to undo the workaround.

For Office 2003

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

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

"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000000
•

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

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

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

To install MOICE, you must also 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.

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

Enable MOICE

Note See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 935865 to use the automated Microsoft Fix it solution to enable or disable this workaround.

To manually enable MOICE, run the commands as specified in the following table. Running the commands will associate the Office application extensions with MOICE.
Command to enable MOICE to be the registered handler

For Word, run the following command from a command prompt:
ASSOC .doc=oice.word.document

For Excel, run the following commands from a command prompt:
ASSOC .XLS=oice.excel.sheet
ASSOC .XLT=oice.excel.template
ASSOC .XLA=oice.excel.addin

For PowerPoint, run the following commands from a command prompt:
ASSOC .PPT=oice.powerpoint.show
ASSOC .POT=oice.powerpoint.template
ASSOC .PPS=oice.powerpoint.slideshow

Note On Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2, run the above commands 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 Microsoft Office 2007 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.

How to undo the workaround. Run the commands to disable MOICE as specified in the table below.
Command to disable MOICE as the registered handler

For Word, run the following command from a command prompt:
ASSOC .doc=Word.Document.8

For Excel, run the following commands from a command prompt:
ASSOC .xls=Excel.Sheet.8
ASSOC .xlt=Excel.Template
ASSOC .xla=Excel.Addin

For PowerPoint, run the following commands from a command prompt:
ASSOC .ppt=PowerPoint.Show.8
ASSOC .PPS=oice.powerpoint.slideshow
ASSOC .pps=PowerPoint.SlideShow.8

Note On Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2, run the above commands from an elevated command prompt.
•

Do not open PowerPoint files from untrusted sources

Do not open or save PowerPoint 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.
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FAQ for PowerPoint Parsing Buffer Overflow Vulnerability - CVE-2010-2572

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?
The vulnerability exists because of the way that Microsoft PowerPoint parses the PowerPoint file format when opening a specially crafted PowerPoint 95 file.

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?
Exploitation of this vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted PowerPoint 95 file with an affected version of Microsoft PowerPoint.

In an e-mail attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted PowerPoint 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 PowerPoint 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, and then convince them to open the specially crafted PowerPoint file.

Why is this vulnerability rated Moderate for Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 Service Pack 3?
By default, the opening of PowerPoint 95 files is blocked in Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 Service Pack 3. This mitigating factor lowers the severity rating of the vulnerability to Moderate.

What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?
Systems where Microsoft PowerPoint 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 addresses the vulnerability by changing the way that Microsoft PowerPoint parses specially crafted PowerPoint files.

When this security bulletin was issued, had this vulnerability been publicly disclosed?
No. Microsoft received information about this vulnerability through coordinated vulnerability 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 when this security bulletin was originally issued.
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PowerPoint Integer Underflow Causes Heap Corruption Vulnerability - CVE-2010-2573

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft PowerPoint handles specially crafted PowerPoint files. 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-2010-2573.

Mitigating Factors for PowerPoint Integer Underflow Causes Heap Corruption Vulnerability - CVE-2010-2573

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.
•

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.
•

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, and then convince them to open the specially crafted PowerPoint file.
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Workarounds for PowerPoint Integer Underflow Causes Heap Corruption Vulnerability - CVE-2010-2573

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 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\PowerPoint\Security\FileOpenBlock]

"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000001

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

Alternatively, file block can be applied using Group Policy. For more information, see the TechNet article, Plan file block settings for Office 2010.

Impact of workaround. For Microsoft Office 2003 and Microsoft Office 2007, 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. For Microsoft Office 2007, Office 2003 or earlier versions will either be blocked from opening or will be opened in protected mode depending on the open behavior that was selected.

How to undo the workaround.

For Office 2003

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

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

"BinaryFiles"=dword:00000000
•

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

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

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

To install MOICE, you must also 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.

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

Enable MOICE

Note See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 935865 to use the automated Microsoft Fix it solution to enable or disable this workaround.

To manually enable MOICE, run the commands as specified in the following table. Running the commands will associate the Office application extensions with MOICE.
Command to enable MOICE to be the registered handler

For Word, run the following command from a command prompt:
ASSOC .doc=oice.word.document

For Excel, run the following commands from a command prompt:
ASSOC .XLS=oice.excel.sheet
ASSOC .XLT=oice.excel.template
ASSOC .XLA=oice.excel.addin

For PowerPoint, run the following commands from a command prompt:
ASSOC .PPT=oice.powerpoint.show
ASSOC .POT=oice.powerpoint.template
ASSOC .PPS=oice.powerpoint.slideshow

Note On Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2, run the above commands 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 Microsoft Office 2007 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.

How to undo the workaround. Run the commands to disable MOICE as specified in the table below.
Command to disable MOICE as the registered handler

For Word, run the following command from a command prompt:
ASSOC .doc=Word.Document.8

For Excel, run the following commands from a command prompt:
ASSOC .xls=Excel.Sheet.8
ASSOC .xlt=Excel.Template
ASSOC .xla=Excel.Addin

For PowerPoint, run the following commands from a command prompt:
ASSOC .ppt=PowerPoint.Show.8
ASSOC .PPS=oice.powerpoint.slideshow
ASSOC .pps=PowerPoint.SlideShow.8

Note On Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2, run the above commands from an elevated command prompt.
•

Do not open PowerPoint files from untrusted sources

Do not open or save PowerPoint 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.
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FAQ for PowerPoint Integer Underflow Causes Heap Corruption Vulnerability - CVE-2010-2573

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?
The vulnerability exists because of the way that Microsoft PowerPoint parses the PowerPoint file format when opening a specially crafted PowerPoint file.

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?
The vulnerability exists because of the way that Microsoft PowerPoint parses the PowerPoint file format when opening a specially crafted PowerPoint file.

In an e-mail attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted PowerPoint 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 PowerPoint 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, and then convince them to open the specially crafted PowerPoint file.

What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?
Systems where Microsoft PowerPoint 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.

How is Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 affected by this vulnerability?
Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 is not affected by the vulnerability; however, the vulnerable Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer is delivered with Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 and will be offered this security update.

What does the update do?
This update addresses the vulnerability by changing the way that Microsoft PowerPoint parses specially crafted PowerPoint files.

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

Other Information
Acknowledgments

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

Alin Rad Pop of Secunia Research for reporting the PowerPoint Parsing Buffer Overflow Vulnerability (CVE-2010-2572)
•

An anonymous researcher, working with TippingPoint's Zero Day Initiative, for reporting the PowerPoint Integer Underflow Causes Heap Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2010-2573)
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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

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Revisions
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V1.0 (November 9, 2010): Bulletin published.